It feels like ages ago that Anthony Gordon's place in the England starting eleven was anything but certain. For much of his early international career he hovered on the fringes, never quite convincing the coaching staff that he deserved a regular berth. The turning point arrived in the final warm‑up match before the World Cup, a friendly against Costa Rica, where Gordon found the net once and created another goal. That performance finally earned him a place on the team sheet for the tournament opener against Croatia, although even then many Sky Sports pundits remained skeptical.
Fast forward three months, and the narrative has flipped dramatically. Gordon now appears as a staple on Thomas Tuchel’s line‑up, routinely listed among the most trusted attacking options. The World Cup itself began sluggishly for England, and Gordon was omitted after goalless draws with Croatia and Ghana.
Yet when he was recalled for the decisive group‑stage clash with Panama, he repaid the faith by providing the assist for both of Harry Kane’s strikes in a dramatic comeback win over the Democratic Republic of Congo. His influence didn’t stop there. In the following Nations League fixture against Norway, Gordon supplied another assist, and in the semi‑final against Argentina he scored the decisive goal that propelled England into the final.
Those contributions have cemented his status as a key figure for both club and country. Remarkably, the Barcelona winger is now on a four‑match international scoring streak – the longest run by any England player other than Harry Kane in nearly six years. Achieving such consistency is impressive for any footballer, but it is especially noteworthy given how heavily his attacking output was questioned right up until the summer tournament.
Prior to the World Cup, Gordon had struggled to translate his club form into the England shirt, yet in his last ten appearances for the national side he has been directly involved in ten goals, making him part of the most potent front four in modern international football. His reputation had taken a hit during a difficult final season at Newcastle United.
Under the intense scrutiny of the Premier League, he managed only five non‑penalty goal involvements, a figure that cast doubt on his suitability for the world stage. This was starkly contrasted with the prolific spell he enjoyed in his first campaign on Tyneside, a period that seemed to have been forgotten by many observers. Frustrated by the lack of recognition, Gordon told ITV before the World Cup camp that his "quality and football IQ" had not been respected by English fans, a sentiment that grew louder after his move to Barcelona.
Talent, however, has never been in question. His early years at Newcastle, complemented by brief but promising moments at Everton, displayed a player capable of dazzling skill and pace.
The real issue, according to several of his coaches, has always been consistency rather than raw ability. Barcelona’s sporting director Deco and head coach Hansi Flick, convinced by Tuchel’s endorsement, saw beyond Gordon’s Premier League struggles and secured his transfer ahead of Marcus Rashford, even paying more than double what his England teammate would have cost. Their belief was not misplaced; in the previous season’s Champions League Gordon scored ten goals in twelve games, a tally only surpassed by Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé, and those performances did not go unnoticed at the Camp Nou.
Ironically, in a recent interview Gordon lamented that before his Barcelona move he was valued only for his work‑rate and speed. Yet Deco had earlier told Spanish outlet RAC1 that it was precisely Gordon’s "intensity" that attracted the club. This paradox highlights the differing perceptions of his game across borders.
Since the World Cup, the 25‑year‑old has undeniably elevated his play. Prior to the Costa Rica friendly he had recorded just two goals and an assist in his first 18 England appearances.
The subsequent months have proved he can deliver when the stakes are highest – whether it was his decisive strike in the World Cup semi‑final or his match‑changing goals against Spain and the Czech Republic in the Nations League. Those moments underscore a player who thrives under pressure. Gordon’s confidence has also been bolstered by his lifelong dream of wearing the Barcelona jersey.
At his unveiling, he spoke fluently in Spanish, recalling that he had imagined playing for the club since he was three years old. That childhood aspiration, combined with the distinction of becoming the first Englishman signed permanently by Barcelona since Gary Lineker four decades ago, has added a new layer of motivation. His start at the Nou Camp has been promising. Fans have quickly embraced him, sharing viral clips of his four assists in his first six LaLiga matches – a figure that doubles his assist total from his final Premier League season and ties for the most in the current Spanish campaign.
Deco has publicly encouraged Gordon to sharpen his finishing, but his recent England scoring run suggests that improvement is already underway. The question now is whether he can sustain this bright beginning in both Catalonia and on the international stage, or if the lingering challenge of long‑term consistency will resurface.
Time will reveal the answer, but if Gordon continues on his current trajectory, both his club and his country will possess a truly valuable asset.