29 May 2023 , 11:09
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Anthony Gordon has admitted he wasn’t fit enough to play for Newcastle United this season.
The 22-year-old winger has vowed to be “on it like never before” because playing for Eddie Howe’s relentless running men left him “absolutely blowing.” Gordon signed for Newcastle for £45million in January after his car was chased out of an Everton game by angry fans.
He says he will use England Under-21s European Championship finals campaign at the end of June to keep his fitness high before coming back for pre-season in better shape than ever. Gordon’s admission illustrates the physical turnaround at fourth-placed Newcastle this season.
He got his first goal for his new club in the 1-1 draw Chelsea on the final day of the season and said: “I am so happy to get the goal. You could see it in my celebration, all the emotion came out. It has been a really difficult year, not just at Newcastle, and it was good to get.
“It has been so difficult just because of the level I was at coming in, the lads here were so much higher. I had such an uphill battle to match them and then had the injury. It always felt like I was chasing. I feel likeI had a lot to do and it was hard mentally and physically.
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“Now I feel I have a big summer coming up so I put myself in a really good position for next year. This summer I have got the U21 Euros so physically I am going to be so on it like never before because out there I am absolutely blowing!
Anthony Gordon scored his first goal for Newcastle in his 16th appearance (Warren Little/Getty Images) HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Anthony Gordon be a key player for Newcastle next season? Comment below.
“So in this team you have to be so fit. The gaffer demands so much from the players and that is something I didn’t expect and didn’t know. But I know for next year so I will be on it.”
Gordon has shown flashes of his sharpness and vision, but was desperate to impress when he joined. He added: “I feel I have been a bit eager to show what I can do. In the process I have underperformed for my level. I need to forget that and focus on what I am good at, and the basics of football and my talent will show after that.”
Boss Eddie Howe said of Gordon: “When I look at him at lunchtimes and when players are socialising and eating together, he's always in the hub of it. He's not excluded. He's very much in the core of the group. That's a great thing for me to see.
“He's settling in really well and I can't wait to get a pre-season with him because that will be a game-changer for him because we can really get him integrated into our style and system of play. He's there already, but there's a lot more to come."