Anthony Gordon’s commitment to the England national team is unwavering, as he clarifies that playing for Scotland was never in his plans. His dedication has been rewarded with a first senior call-up for the friendlies at Wembley against Brazil and Belgium, which could pave his way into Gareth Southgate’s team for Euro 2024.
Gordon’s contributions were pivotal in England’s triumph at the 2023 European Under-21 Championship, where his talent earned him the player of the tournament accolade. Despite eligibility to represent the Republic of Ireland or Scotland due to his heritage, Gordon’s aspirations have always been aligned with England.
His selection for the upcoming friendlies is a testament to his hard work and a dream realized for the young forward, who has consistently set his sights on representing England at the highest level.
“It was never a thought for me,” he said when asked if he had considered it.
“That’s no disrespect to Scotland, that’s all. I’ve been tunnel-visioned on playing for England since I was five or six years old. Nothing could ever shake that off.
“I could never forgive myself if I hadn’t got to this point. Like I said, it is just a dream I’ve had from so young so nothing else has ever entered my mind at any time.”
Born in Liverpool, Gordon’s passion for one day wanting to wear the Three Lions of England stems from local boys he looked up to as a youngster.
“I think I’ve always just wanted to be at the very top of football,” he said.
“I think that’s every kid’s dream who likes football. I think as a young English kid, that is the pinnacle to play for your country so it is no extra motivation or a great story but just that.
“For me, it was always (Wayne) Rooney and (Steven) Gerrard because they were from similar areas.
“I always used to run around the garden from the youngest age I can remember and try and recreate goals, create my own types of goals. I looked up to them massively.”
‘Although both Rooney and Gerrard captained their national teams, neither won international trophies. Gordon and the current team aim to achieve just that, and he believes that leveraging the recent success of the Under-21 team can be beneficial.’
“Most definitely because the standard of the Under-21s is so high,” he said.
“Our team was a really, really good team. A lot of them played Premier League week in, week out at some big clubs.
“Being in those environments, wanting to showcase what you can do, prepares you for this environment and I’m very thankful for all the experiences I had with the youth teams.”
Gordon will be hoping to take the step up to senior football in his stride and admits it was added motivation when Southgate had spoken just how close he had come to picking the Newcastle man in previous squads.
“(It was) very reassuring – I was performing well,” he added.
“I was working hard, the season was going well for me. Just to hear him say that I was in the thoughts and close.
“It gave me just a little boost to carry on knowing I’m not too far away and in the games, made me run just that little bit harder.”