The former Everton fan favourite was painted as being desperate to leave the club for Thursday's Carabao Cup opponents, Newcastle
Anthony Gordon poses for photos with a scarf after signing at St.James' Park
Anthony Gordon caused a stir after leaving Everton for Newcastle(Image: Getty)
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Anthony Gordon says his move from Everton to Newcastle was never about him being "desperate" to leave his boyhood club. The 25-year-old's former employers collide in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
David Moyes' men will welcome the Magpies to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Thursday evening in pursuit of a quarter-final spot. Of course, Gordon will play no role in the match following his £69million move to Barcelona in June, but will undoubtedly be watching from afar.
Gordon, who joined Everton's academy at age 11, spent more than a decade in the club's youth ranks before joining Newcastle in January 2023. He was vilified by sections of the Toffees fanbase over his decision and certain narratives floating around, but has in the past sought to clarify his stance.
"The whole process [of leaving Everton] was difficult," he told Gary Neville on The Overlap in 2024. "You said I am mentally strong and I think that has played a massive part of me being who I am now.
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"I am very thankful but it was so hard at the time. Liverpool’s biggest unity is everyone being together, Scousers looking after Scousers. And for someone to leave that environment, nobody is going to like it, and rightly so.
Anthony Gordon of Everton FC celebrates scoring a goal during the Sydney Super Cup match between Everton and the Western Sydney Wanderers
The winger was a Toffee for over 10 years(Image: Getty)
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"But ultimately, I am too ambitious to turn down the opportunity which was presented to me. Newcastle United were only going one way and looking from the outside they were flying. I think they were fourth when I was signing, so it’s a no-brainer. My ambition is to be at the very top of football and I couldn’t do that where I was."
It was only after Gordon had departed for St. James' Park that Everton published a statement alleging their former player had requested a transfer. When Neville asked whether the winger felt things could have ended on a different note, Gordon gave his own account.
"It didn’t, that’s the thing," he replied. "A lot of what you see in the media [from Everton] is club-driven and I didn’t care too much to change the perspective, because I’m very comfortable in myself and how it ended up, and ultimately, I got what I wanted. I joined Newcastle.
"I did want to leave, but also, the club did have to sell me. The way it played out was that I was desperate to leave and that was never really the case. I just wanted to fulfil my ambitions."
Anthony Gordon of FC Barcelona celebrates their team's first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between FC Barcelona and Getafe CF
Gordon is thriving at Barcelona(Image: Getty)
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This year's move to the Camp Nou reinforced that point as Gordon joined one of the biggest and most successful clubs in football. His transfer to Barca was finalised long before the summer transfer window even officially opened, underlining his eagerness to advance his ambitions again.
The Kirkdale-born star is making waves in Catalonia after scoring twice and grabbing five assists in his first 12 games for Barcelona. He's also started taking more of a prominent role for England after netting three goals in as many games during the last international break.
Despite how things ended for him at Everton, Gordon's comments still illustrate a certain amount of affection for the club. And there's likely to be at least one person in Catalonia hooked into Thursday's Carabao Cup showdown as each of his old outfits aims to secure a place in the last eight.