The view from Barcelona on how Anthony Gordon has started in Catalonia since joining the club from Newcastle United

Anthony Gordon will line up for England against Croatia this evening looking to maintain his excellent recent record of scoring or assisting in each of his last seven Three Lions matches.

Since joining Barcelona in May from Newcastle United in a £69million summer move, Gordon's performances have gone up a level for both club and country.

Eddie Howe and Newcastle can take great pride in how they transformed Gordon from a raw winger with potential when they signed him from Everton in January 2023 to a fully fledged England international and Champions League performer when he left the club three-and-a-half years later.

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But his performances have elevated under Hansi Flick, who made signing Gordon one of his top priorities in the summer transfer window.

"Anthony Gordon was FC Barcelona’s first signing of the summer, brought in at the specific request of Hansi Flick," German Bona, Barcelona reporter at Diario Sport, told Chronicle Live.

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"The reason is that the German coach requires players who press intensely to implement his style of play - an attacking approach that relies on a very high defensive line."

In his first press conference, Gordon won plaudits both in England and in Spain when he endeared himself to Barcelona supporters by answering questions in both Spanish and Catalan.

Supporters and media who cover the club have appreciated his efforts to ingratiate himself in Catalan culture and his behaviour has been held up as a 'model of integration' for how new signings should behave when joining the Spanish champions.

Such is the affection he is held in, banners have been held up in the Camp Nou depicting him in a vintage Barça shirt and sunglasses, clutching on to the Ballon d’Or trophy, accompanied by the slogan “Antoni Gros és Català” – Fat Tony is Catalan.

"Gordon has become a player very well-liked by the fans, largely because he has been a model of integration from day one - even going so far as to speak a few words in Catalan, for instance, when addressing the club’s official media outlets," Bona added.

"Some fans have even brought banners to the Camp Nou that read 'Toni Gros és català.' 'Toni' is a diminutive of 'Antoni' (Anthony in English), while 'Gros' is a play on words: the Spanish word for 'fat' is 'gordo', and the Catalan equivalent is 'gros'.

"One anecdote is that he gave a press conference ahead of the Champions League match between Barça and Aston Villa. He had intended to answer in Spanish - and had even rehearsed doing so with club staff - but, finding himself in front of so many journalists, he felt overwhelmed and decided to respond in English instead."

Gordon has impressed on the pitch, too, bagging three goals and five assists across 15 appearances in all competitions and establishing himself as part of a formidable Barcelona front three that also includes Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

His selfless running and work off the ball has made him a vital cog in Flick's wheel but the next challenge is for him to become more selfish in front of goal and post more consistent numbers that he has started to produce for his country.

"He has had a good start, but it cannot be described as fantastic," Bona concluded. "He himself acknowledged in recent remarks that he needs to take a more prominent role and be more willing to shoot.

"In a press conference, Flick was asked about this. His response: 'He contributes a great deal when on the ball. He holds on to it, maintains possession, and doesn't make easy mistakes; in the final third, he could perhaps be a bit more selfish in one-on-one situations. But he has been very good in the last few matches - he has raised his level, and I’m happy with that.'"

Gordon is expected to start for England this evening as the 25-year-old bids to win his 29th cap for his country in their UEFA Nations League clash against Croatia at Wembley Stadium.