REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth
Barcelona fans have already given Anthony Gordon a brand new nickname after his first few appearances for the Catalan giants.
Gordon was a surprise £69 million signing from Newcastle United this summer. Barca had the option to sign another English winger, Marcus Rashford, on a permanent deal following last season’s loan spell from Manchester United but made the unexpected decision to bring Gordon to Camp Nou instead.
Gordon only scored six Premier League goals for Newcastle last season, but it was his performances in the Champions League that left a big impression on Barcelona.
The 25-year-old netted 10 goals in 12 appearances in last season’s tournament. Only Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe (15 goals) and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (14 goals) scored more.
Gordon's Stunning Start at Barcelona
REUTERS/Bruna Casas
Several weeks into his Barcelona spell and Gordon has already won over the club’s supporters.
He provided two assists on his La Liga debut against Elche after coming on as a second-half substitute. His selfless assist for Fermin Lopez immediately endeared him to the Camp Nou faithful.
Gordon was then handed his first competitive start against Athletic Club last week. Once again he impressed with his work ethic and ability on the ball. “Easily the best left-winger we have had since Neymar,” one fan commented. “Everything about him is just so perfect... intelligence, runs, passing. €80m looks like a steal.”
Gordon started again on the left wing in Barcelona’s 5-2 win over Raya Vallecano on Monday night.
He provided a sensational assist for Raphinha as chants of “Gordon, Gordon, Gordon!” rang out from the stands. Watch the assist and footage of the chant below:
Gordon's New Nickname at Barcelona
REUTERS/Bruna Casas
Gordon has earned an affectionate Catalan nickname from the club’s fans, who have a surprise new hero.
A banner of Gordon holding the Ballon d’Or reads: ‘Antoni Gros es Catala’ - or ‘Fat Antoni is Catalan’.
One fan explains: “They even came up with a nickname for him: ‘Antoni Gros’. It's a bit forced, since Gros in Catalan = Gordo (without the n) in Spanish. Gordo = fat.
“Bottom line, Antoni Gros is awesome!”
Gros (fat) in this instance essentially means ‘big’ or ‘great’, rather than a reference to his physique.
Gordon is in top physical condition, as demonstrated by his exceptional early performances for the reigning La Liga champions.
That he can already speak Spanish and Catalan has further helped him to win the hearts of supporters.
Meanwhile, Barcelona posted a tweet offering their own new nickname for Gordon. The caption reads: “My idol, your idol, our idol. Sir Anthony Gordon.”
As far as starts at new clubs go, Gordon’s could not have gone any better.