ANT: I WAS OUT OF TOON
Gordon admits ‘not fit enough’ for Geordies
ANTHONY GORDON admits he was not fit enough to play for Newcastle this season.
But the winger has vowed to be in the same top condition as his team-mates for the start of the new campaign.
Gordon signed from Everton for £35million in
January after he was confronted by angry fans as he drove away from Goodison Park following defeat to Southampton.
He confessed he was “absolutely blowing” trying to match his colleague’s relentless running and aims to use the Under-21 Euros with England at the end of next month to keep sharp before going into pre-season in better shape than ever.
Gordon’s admission illustrates the physical turnaround at Eddie Howe’s fourth-placed Newcastle this term.
He scored for the first time for his new club at Chelsea on Sunday and said: “I’m so happy to get the goal. You could see it in my celebration, all the emotion came out. It’s been a really difficult year, not just at Newcastle.
“It’s 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 I had a lot to do and it was hard mentally and physically.
“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 the U21 Euros so physically I am going to be so on it like never before because out there I’m absolutely blowing.
“In this team you have to be so fit. The gaffer demands so much from the players and that’s something I didn’t expect. 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’ve been a bit eager to show what I can do. In the process I’ve underperformed for my level. I need to forget that and focus on what I’m good at and the basics of football and my talent will show after that.”
Boss Howe (left) said: “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 to see.
“He’s settling in really well and I can’t wait to get a preseason with him as that will be a gamechanger.”