Gordon, the boy done Good
Ronaldo is my idol... but I was born next to the ground and I want to be the next great Scouser
ANTHONY GORDON would have known what David Moyes meant when he described Everton as the People’s Club.
Gordon was born and bred on the streets around Goodison Park and is driven by the desire to make Scousers proud.
Asked how it felt to hear 3,000 Evertonians singing his name at Old Trafford earlier this month, the 20-year-old described it as “probably the best moment of my life.”
Today, when West Ham visit Goodison, he will get the chance to show Moyes (right) that the kid signed as an 11-year-old towards the end of his Everton reign can be a big part of the club’s future. Gordon said: “I am very local, I’m literally just two minutes away from the stadium.
“Just day to day, people coming up to me and stuff, just normal people thinking something of me... well it’s unbelievable. I’ve always wanted that. I have always seen other players coming through and I’ve been in the same position, looking up to them. “I idolised Cristiano Ronaldo when I was growing up – but also any Scouser who played football, whether it was for Everton or anyone else. “Being a Scouser is not an easy place to come from, so to see them going on and making something good of themselves was inspiring for me. “He [Moyes] was here when I first joined, but left not long afterwards, so I never got to meet him, really. “But I used to go to the games, so I know what fans want from us coming through.” Gordon made his Premier League debut against the Hammers in January 2020. When he was rewarded with his first start in a Merseyside derby the following June, the thrill of the occasion was diluted by an empty stadium caused by the pandemic.
Rafa Benitez saw enough promise in Everton’s Carabao Cup defeat at QPR to plunge him in against Manchester United.
While Gordon admits to being starstruck by Ronaldo, he realises he is now on a steep learning curve. Gordon said: “Ronaldo is THE example for me.
“You see the pictures of him. I don’t know how old he is, maybe 36 or 37, but his body is better than anyone’s because of the way he looks after himself.
“I do a few of the things he’s doing because the game has evolved so much. If you can get an edge on the opposition then it’s massive.
“That could be the difference. I pride myself on that. My diet and gym work is all methodical.”
He added: “Whether I stay in the team now is not really up to the manager because if you are performing well enough you make the decision for him. “That is what I am doing now, whether I am starting or on the bench. I am in the manager’s mind because I am working hard.
“As a local lad you are judged to a higher standard because the fans expect more of you.
“No one holds me to a higher standard than I hold myself.
“Hearing the fans sing my name at Old Trafford was probably the best moment of my life, to be honest.
“I’ve dreamed about that since I was...well I can’t even think how old! It’s always been a thing for me, to have fans singing my name. I can’t tell you how much I really enjoyed it.”