With all the talk right now concerning Alexander Isak and his future at Newcastle United, it’s important to remember that it’s not the first time in recent memory that we’ve come close to losing one of our star forwards.
Just over a year ago, Anthony Gordon was almost part of a blockbuster ‘swap’ deal with Liverpool, which would have seen Joe Gomez come the other way.
Instead, the pair of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh were sacrificed, and we avoided having to sell the former Everton man for the sake of PSR compliance.
And now, Gordon has spoke out about last summer’s saga, and provided some fresh insight into where he sees his future after a much better summer.
In an interview with The Mail’s Craig Hope, Gordon has explained how last summer was “horrendous” for him, and just how mentally-draining the last three years of football have been for him.
After winning the Under-21 EUROs with England, Gordon enjoyed a meteoric rise with us, becoming one of the most formidable and prolific wingers in the Premier League, though he bizarrely couldn’t earn any minutes under Gareth Southgate at EURO 2024.
Then in the 2024 summer window, Gordon had a medical booked in Leipzig to make the move back to Merseyside, which he says took a hefty mental toll on him in the midst of a draining summer.
“I would never lie. It was difficult for me because one: I had the EUROs, which was horrendous for me mentally. I was there, I wasn’t playing.”
“Then I had that transfer stuff. With PSR, I thought I was going to leave (for Liverpool) at some point in the window. It didn’t happen. I had to get my head around that to begin with, and then to get my head around it again (when it didn’t happen) was hard.”
“I’m a human being. It’s really difficult. That is why I understand what Alex is going through. I feel for him. He will be going through a lot. The club is going through a lot. I hope everyone gets what they want in the end.”
Overall, it’s been a hard few years for the 24-year-old: to go from Player of the Tournament at the U-21 EUROs, to only four minutes under Southgate, and even missing the Carabao Cup final.
But he’s now feeling more refreshed and mentally prepared than ever ahead of our biggest season yet.
“The last three years have been mentally draining for me. Football became like a chore – there was always so much noise around me. There were so many games and I never had a summer off. Last year, I had just over a week off, plus all the noise. At times, I felt negative.
“But, I don’t feel like that now! This year, I’ve had a full summer off with my family and friends. You can see, I’m really refreshed. I’ve got my appetite back for football – I didn’t have that last year.
“All I care about now is Newcastle. The way I got into the England squad was playing well for Newcastle – that’s the way I’ll get what I want from life.”
On his England hopes ahead of next year’s World Cup, Gordon’s response was also exactly what we wanted to hear:
“Right now, I don’t care about that. All I care about is Newcastle. The way I got into the England squad was playing well for Newcastle. That’s the way I’ll get what I want from life.”
The last line feels like a big hint on his future. He’s going nowhere and all of his focus is on Newcastle; unlike a certain Alexander Isak.
On Isak, Gordon admitted he could relate to Isak regarding all of the speculation:
“I understand what Alex is going through. For me, it’s been an absolute pleasure to be out of the transfer speculation for a summer! It’s the first time in about three years! It’s been so easy, so mentally refreshing.”
“I’m not linked to any clubs and I’m very happy where I am. I’m enjoying my football again.”
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