Anthony Gordon says he’s feeling more appreciated as a player since moving to Barcelona and believes that “if you’re not smart, you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb” at the Catalan giants.
The England international made the switch to Barcelona from Newcastle in the summer and has gone on to produce four assists for his new club.
Gordon was also on target for England against Spain in the Nations League at the weekend and feels he is finally getting the respect he desreves.
“I think I’ve become
a different player in a lot of people’s eyes because I always felt in England, people respected me because I was fast and I pressed but they never actually respected the quality and the IQ that I played with,” he told ITV Sport.
“Only the players I played with seem to ever notice that. I think now that I’m at Barcelona and I play a different style, those qualities are highlighted much more and people actually starting to take notice that I’m not just quick.
“I think in England it was never really respected. People just see me as really quick and really aggressive. Whereas in Spain I think they really appreciate my IQ, quality, because in Barcelona if you’re not technical, if you’re not smart, you’re going to stand out like a sore thumb.
“That was kind of what I wanted if I’m honest. I wanted to leave the Premier League. I wanted a different experience. I felt that I had more than what people thought of me and I wanted to show that on the world’s biggest stage so going abroad was very important for me.”
Gordon will go on to play Czechia and Croatia with England before heading back to Barcelona to continue his first season with Hansi Flick’s side.
