Anthony Gordon has insisted that any raw players heading to Newcastle United will enhance their careers by working with Eddie Howe and his staff
Eddie Howe and Anthony Gordon
Eddie Howe said Anthony Gordon is a like-for-like replacement for Alexander Isak
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Anthony Gordon has backed Newcastle United to transform more young players to be pushed to the elite level under the guidance of Eddie Howe and his staff.
The Magpies now enter a phase of recruitment that will see them bring in younger and unproven stars this summer as Howe looks to rebuild.
Gordon arrived as a raw but expensive prospect at £45million from Everton three years ago but left last week as a fully established England international heading to the World Cup as a Barcelona player.
But he now believes the stage will be set for more stars to shine on the big stage at St James' Park and attract players that can benefit themselves and the Magpies in a critical next chapter for Howe and his staff.
Gordon has insisted that future stars will like it at Newcastle and said: "The culture here, immediately when I arrived I knew I wouldn't be able to slack off in any way. It has pushed me to levels I knew and hoped I could get to but maybe quicker than I thought.
"The manager and his staff just being so good with me and being able to invest so much time in me. The players and making so many friends. It is a real family club and that goes a long way for me. It made me feel at home much quicker than maybe I would have at other clubs.
"With that feeling it allowed me to perform at a much higher level and earlier. From then, I have got much better as a player and as a person."
Gordon, speaking to the club's TV channel before his £69.3m move to Barca, also lifted the lid on the controversy surrounding his move from Everton to Newcastle, which resulted in the star missing training with the Toffees before putting pen to paper on Tyneside.
He said: "The way I arrived here was a bit controversial but nobody in Newcastle cared about that. Everybody I saw in the street was like: 'Don't worry, you will be fine and successful'.
"And looking back now it really meant a lot to me those words. When people invest that much time to you it is very easy to give back."
And Gordon indicated that there was never any chance of a controversial exit like Alexander Isak 12 months ago when the Sweden star went on strike to win a £125m to Liverpool.
Gordon said: "My time here has been too positive to end negatively. It would have made no sense to me. My relationship with the manager and the staff is too good for that.
"It was never negative for one moment me being here so for me to leave in negative manner was something I really didn't want to do."
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