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4 months ago
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Anthony Gordon has been put up by England to face the media.
The Newcastle United star answering questions from journalists ahead of the Slovakia match.
I think fair to say that most people will take this as a strong pointer to Anthony Gordon getting more than one minute of normal time on the pitch in this last 16 match.
Maybe even, dare I say it, starting the 5pm kick-off match on Sunday?
Anthony Gordon talking to the media at Friday’s press conference:
Anthony Gordon asked what it takes to make it into the England starting line-up:
“I’m not too sure.
“That is for the manager.
“I can only control what I can.
“Try my best, make the selection as hard for him as I possibly can.
“When, or if, I’m needed, I’ll be more than ready.”
Anthony Gordon asked what he can bring to the England starting 11:
“My strengths are that I’m direct, I’m quick.
“I’m an absolute nightmare for anyone I play against.
“I’m always trying to put people on the back foot and I think I add a different element to the team.”
Anthony Gordon asked if he had spoken to Gareth Southgate about not being selected:
“No, I’m not that guy.
“I think if I train to the very best of my ability, do the best that I can every day, that is my way of giving the manager a headache in terms of selection and the rest I can’t control.”
Anthony Gordon asked about England players getting criticised on social media:
“I don’t really care about stuff like that.
“I actually think of it in a positive way.
“If people are being negative, it’s only because they expect a lot from you.
“If we want that to stop, we need to perform and give people what they want to see.
“In the past [group] games we weren’t where we wanted to be but it’s in the past.
“We’ve got to stay present as a team, stay focused on what’s ahead of us.
“We have got a lot coming up, we have got a lot to look forward to.
“If we let past games affect us, then we are not going to perform to the best we can.”
Anthony Gordon asked about coping with self-doubt:
“Everything starts with doubt.
“Everyone naturally doubts themselves to begin with.
“I think the key is recognising that, then coming up with ways to manage it.
“In football, I think it’s more off the pitch and just before you go out, when that doubt starts to come in, that doubt before games, the butterflies.
“Anyone who tells you that doesn’t impact them is a liar.
“However, it is the best players who can be self-aware, to know they are feeling that and change it during a game.”
Anthony Gordon was player of the tournament when helping England to win the under 21s Euros, asked to compare that tournament with this senior one:
“I think the whole set up is similar.
“I feel the same as last year.
“Of course it’s a bit different, as the competition is much higher.
“I mean, we haven’t faced a bad nation yet.
“Every team you come up against are really good in their own right and that’s the main difference I have noticed.”
Anthony Gordon asked about his bike ride accident on Wednesday:
“I was going down the hill and tried to take a picture for my family… before I knew it I was face first into the floor.
“It is only few cuts, not anything painful.
“Electric bikes are a lot faster than normal bikes.
“Plus the front brake is on the left hand side, I tried to press the right one to slow down and it didn’t slow down, instead it came to a full stop and I’ve gone ten feet in the air chin first.
“I just carried on and finished the bike ride.
“When I got back to camp I had to put stuff on it which absolutely stung.”

 
