Skip to content
Anthony Gordon excellent goal sends England on their way to quarter-finals – Perfect pre-season
Anthony Gordon continues to have the ideal pre-season preparations ahead of Newcastle United kicking off their 2023/24 campaign.
The versatile attacking player showing for England out at the 2023 Under 21s Euros finals, why Eddie Howe paid £40m (plus £5m potential future add-ons) for him in January.
Anthony Gordon admitted (see below) that the levels of training under Frank Lampard at Everton, hadn’t been anywhere close enough to prepare him for what was expected when playing in a high energy, high tempo, high pressing, Eddie Howe team.
Anthony Gordon saying that these 2023 Under 21s Euros finals were perfectly timed to give him the intensive summer of preparation he needed before rejoining Newcastle United.
In the first group match win over the Czech Republic, Anthony Gordon had a goal unluckily disallowed after an infringement by another player earlier in the move, but then got an assist with a clever touch to help set up Jacob Ramsey to score.
On Sunday, Anthony Gordon was once again used as a striker and once again he delivered.
On 16 minutes a 17 pass move was finished off by a brilliant headed finish from Anthony Gordon to set England on their way to the quarter-finals.
A Smith-Rowe strike in the second-half made it a 2-0 win for the England Under 21s over Israel and ensures they have already finished top of the group and will play on Sunday in their quarter-final. There is the final group game against Germany on Wednesday to play first but that is likely to see Anthony Gordon and some other first team choices rested.
The England Under 21s boss Lee Carsley is especially happy with the versatile Newcastle attacking player, who he has playing up front:
“They have got other levels they can go to.
“I’ve been impressed with Anthony [Gordon], we’re trying to get him into unorthodox positions.”
Anthony Gordon speaking after Sunday’s win:
“I’m really happy playing with this team at the minute with the role the manager has given me.
“I just want to keep building on these performances, keep getting better and hopefully scoring and getting an assist in every game.
“It [the opening goal] was all about the build-up play. Our play from the back was top drawer all day. For that goal especially – the build-up play down the left then Morgan [Gibbs-White] puts it on a plate for me so I had to finish it for him!
“It was a massive game.
“That was our goal at the beginning of the tournament [to get through], we’ve done it, still a long way to go.
“Some things we could do better with that performance but two wins, no goals conceded, onto the next one.”
Anthony Gordon now has eight direct goal involvement in his last ten England Under 21 appearances, scoring five and getting three assists.
A smart finish on the final day of the season saw Anthony Gordon get his first ever goal in NUFC colours, a major confidence booster and a relief to get that opening goal for his new club out of the way.
After the 2022/23 season had concluded, Anthony Gordon making a very honest admission AND a big Newcastle United commitment at the end of May:
“I am so happy to get that goal [against Chelsea].
“You could see it in my celebration, as all the emotion came out.
“It has been a really difficult year, not just at Newcastle… it was good to get [that goal].
“It has been so difficult, just because of the level I was at coming in at, the lads here were so much higher.
“I had such an uphill battle to match them and then I had the injury, it always felt like I was chasing, it was hard mentally and physically.
“Now I feel that I have a big summer coming up, so I put myself in a really good position for next season.
“This summer I have got the Under 21 Euros, so physically I am going to be so on it like never before, because out there I am absolutely blowing [when playing for Newcastle United].
“In this [Newcastle] team you have to be so fit.
“The gaffer demands so much from the players, that was something I didn’t expect and didn’t know.
“But I know for next year.
“So I will be on it.”
England Under 21 squad for this 2023 European Under-21 Championship:
Goalkeepers:
Josh Griffiths (West Bromwich Albion), Carl Rushworth (Brighton and Hove Albion), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders:
Max Aarons (Norwich City), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Charlie Cresswell (Leeds United), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Manchester City), Ben Johnson (West Ham United), Luke Thomas (Leicester City)
Midfielders:
Tommy Doyle (Manchester City), Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), James Garner (Everton), Angel Gomes (Lille), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards:
Cameron Archer (Aston Villa), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Cole Palmer (Manchester City) Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)
