Anthony Gordon, who has enjoyed a strong start at FC Barcelona since joining from Newcastle United in the past transfer window, is one of England’s main men now, according to their captain and star, Harry Kane.
“His performances in the last couple of games have been some of his best that he has played in an England shirt,” Kane said.
“I think he is just relishing putting the shirt on and being one of the main men in the team.”
The BBC reports that Gordon is one of manager Thomas Tuchel’s “untouchables”
alongside Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, Declan Rice, and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Publicly, the manager did not tip his hand fully. When asked whether Gordon was one of the first names on the team sheet, Tuchel said “He’s getting there.”
However, Gordon’s recent performances, both in the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Nations League, have certainly caught the boss’s eye.
“He’s defending his shirt, he’s defending his position – an excellent performance again after his performance against Spain.
“He was very decisive [against the Czech Republic] and had an excellent goal. It was very, very difficult but the technique and finishing was excellent,” Tuchel said.
England won that match 2-0, with Kane scoring as well. This came after England lost 3-2 to world champions Spain.
“He scored against Spain so he has decisive actions and he’s defending his shirt and his position. He does it on the highest level and he’s a very important player,” Tuchel continued.
“He is an important player for us and he showed that during the World Cup,” Kane said.
At the beginning of the World Cup, Gordon was not a guaranteed starter and competed for a starting role with Marcus Rashford, who coincidentally had left Barcelona and been essentially replaced by Gordon. However, by the end of the tournament, Gordon was clearly the preferred option.
He assisted Bellingham’s controversial equalizer against Norway, which the Norwegians claimed should not have counted because the ball hit a cable while it was in the air at the start of the sequence. England would go onto win 2-1 after extra time, thanks to a goal by Bellingham that was created after Norway’s goalkeeper, Ørjan Nyland, allowed a shot to rebound off him.
Gordon also scored the opening goal in the semifinal against Argentina. He was subbed off in the 72nd minute for Ezri Konsa, a defender, as part of a wider push by Tuchel to defend the lead. The strategy backfired and Argentina won thanks to two late goals, one from Enzo Fernández and the other from Lautaro Martínez, both assisted by Lionel Messi.
