Anthony Gordon insists he couldn’t reach the very top playing for boyhood side Everton as he recounts his messy move to Newcastle United in early 2023.
The winger was the Magpies’ top target for a number of months, with Eddie Howe and members of the St James’ Park hierarchy pushing hard to get the deal over the line. Newcastle’s £45m outlay on Gordon, who had struggled to consistently perform on Merseyside, raised eyebrows as he arrived in the north east.
Gordon himself suffered the emotion of leaving his beloved club but the atmosphere towards him had turned toxic at Goodison Park with Everton supporters hounding him out of the stadium shortly before his exit. Gordon’s car was surrounded by Toffees’ supporters after a 2-1 loss at home to Southampton, with the angry fans proceeding to call the youngster a ‘d***head’ and a ‘k***head,’ before accusing him of not being fit to wear the club’s shirt.
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Weeks later, Gordon was on Tyneside and settling into life under Howe. Fast forward to present day and the England international is well on his way to achieving his ambition of reaching the ‘very top’ of football.
“The whole process [of leaving Everton for Newcastle United] was difficult,” Gordon told Gary Neville on Sky Bet’s The Overlap. “You said I am mentally strong and I think that has played a massive part of me being who I am now. I am very thankful but it was so hard at the time.
“Liverpool’s biggest unity is everyone being together, Scousers looking after Scousers. And for someone to leave that environment, nobody is going to like it, and rightly so, but ultimately, I am too ambitious to turn down the opportunity which was presented to me.
“Newcastle United were only going one way and looking from the outside they were flying, I think they were fourth when I was signing, so it’s a no brainer. My ambition is to be at the very top of football and I couldn’t do that where I was.”
Gordon has 11 goals and nine assists to his name at Newcastle this season and is expected to be involved with England at this summer’s European Championships.
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