The World Cup is on the horizon and Newcastle's winger needs to find some form
Anthony Gordon celebrates his goal against Spurs
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Anthony Gordon has been told he must show an improvement for Newcastle United as he aims to secure a spot in England's World Cup squad.
The winger has been a permanent fixture in Thomas Tuchel's plans, but was forced to withdraw from the last camp after picking up a hip injury.
Gordon's form for Newcastle this season has been patchy. Used both on the left flank and through the middle, he has struggled at times in the Premier League, but excelled on the Champions League stage with starring roles against Union SG and Benfica.
Having been named among the substitutes the last couple of games, at his old club Everton and then on Tuesday night against Tottenham Hotspur, due to Harvey Barnes' form, Gordon is keen to regain his place in the starting XI ahead of a big run of fixtures for Newcastle.
His exciting cameo off the bench - playing a key role in Bruno Guimaraes opener and then netting himself from the penalty spot - means he is pushing for a recall to the side against Burnley.
2026 could be a big year for the player, with England competing in the World Cup, but with competition from the likes of Ebereche Eze, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish for a left-wing berth, Gordon knows he must find his best form again over the next few months.
Another ex-Newcastle and England left-winger, John Barnes, doesn't think Gordon has done enough yet to secure his spot - and isn't sure if there will be much improvement from the player.
"It’s impossible to say Anthony Gordon is going to be the left winger all the time, or Jack Grealish. I don't think there's any England player, probably apart from Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, that you could say will be the number one in any position.
"It depends on how the manager wants to play. If you want to play with a very direct, very quick attacking player, yes. But he might want a player on the left like a Jack Grealish, who isn't going to be as direct, but is comfortable on the ball in tight areas. I think Jack Grealish is probably better. I think Thomas Tuchel has shown that it's horses for courses.
"I don't think we’re going to see such an improvement [in Gordon] in the next three or four months to then say he’s No 1 on the team sheet.
"Not to say that he's not going to play a lot. But I don't think he's at that stature, like Harry Kane, who will be the No 1 player on the team sheet every time we play, no matter who we play."
Gordon came close to a return to Merseyside, to join up with his boyhood side Liverpool, in the summer of 2024 after the disappointment of barely featuring at the European Championships for England. Newcastle weighed up whether to cash in on the winger as they struggled with PSR problems, before opting to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh in the end.
Liverpool continue to monitor the player, especially given the inconsistent performances of Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah's dip in form, but Barnes, who remains a Reds fan after spending more than a decade at Anfield, believes that ship has sailed.
"Gordon could fit in the Liverpool team, but you've got Gakpo there, you've got Ektike, you've got a lot of players, so why get another player when you've got so many wide players?" he said via betting site BetSelect.
"He could fit in the team, but I don't think he’s a priority for Liverpool. We have other areas where we have to improve on - a centre-back, maybe a defensive midfield player, a hard-working defensive midfield player.
"Nothing against Anthony Gordon. If this were 18 months ago, probably. But if you look at the players we've signed recently, I don't think Gordon is somebody that we would necessarily look at."