Everton and Newcastle have both played a big part in Anthony Gordon’s journey, and the winger has now reflected on just how much his career has changed in a relatively short space of time.

The England international has gone from battling relegation at Goodison Park to chasing Champions League football at St James’ Park. Now, following his summer move to Barcelona, he’s got his sights set on winning everything.

And while playing for the Catalan giants brings even greater pressure, Gordon fells things rather differently. In fact, he seems quite relieved to have left those relegation battles behind.

Gordon looks back at Everton and Newcastle years

Speaking in an interview shared by Spanish newspaper Sport, the 25-year-old explained how his ambitions have changed with each move.

“At Everton, I was fighting relegation for two or three years, which was tough,” Gordon said.

“At Newcastle, we were fighting for maybe Champions League and to push up the table. And now I’m fighting with Barça for every trophy.”

Gordon doesn’t sound particularly bitter about those earlier challenges, though. Quite the opposite.

“I’ve had three very different challenges as far as the teams that I’ve played for,” he explained.

“I really enjoyed all three because they’ve come with different things. They help you as a person, help you grow.”

Still, he’s quite clear about which situation he prefers.

“But I think to be competing on every front for every trophy is definitely the most enjoyable.”

ANTHONY GORDON AT EVERTON

Season-by-season statistics and league finishes

Season	PL apps	All apps	Goals	Assists	Everton PL finish
2017/18	0	1	0	0	8th
2018/19	0	0	0	0	8th
2019/20	11	12	0	1	12th
2020/21*	3	7	0	3	10th
2021/22	35	40	4	3	16th
2022/23**	16	18	3	0	17th
EVERTON TOTAL	65	78	7	7	—

Scope: Everton senior first-team competitive matches only. Goals and assists cover all competitions. Excludes youth and reserve football, friendlies and appearances for other clubs. Assists use Opta’s definition.
*2020/21: Gordon spent the second half of the season on loan at Preston North End; those appearances are excluded.
**2022/23: Gordon joined Newcastle United on 29 January 2023. His statistics cover only his Everton appearances before leaving; 17th is Everton’s final position at the end of the full season.
Sources:
Opta Analyst,
ToffeeWeb and
Premier League.
Compiled: 2 November 2026.

SPORT WITNESS

“It’s actually better to have this pressure”

Perhaps the most interesting part of Gordon’s comments is how he compares the pressure at his three clubs.

Gordon has experienced a lot of different situations in England, and believes the pressure of trying to win trophies is much easier to embrace.

“I think people think it’s more pressure, but it’s actually better to have this pressure than fighting relegation and fighting to push up the table and for Champions League,” he said.

“Because ultimately, I want to win every trophy. I want to be the best version of me, and this club allows me to do so.”

There was also an insight into how Gordon approaches that ambition on a personal level.

“For me, it’s having a good routine, reading books, really pushing myself in training, practising, staying longer,” he explained.

“They’re the type of things that make me better, more consistent, so I try to do these as best and as often as I possibly can.”

For Newcastle, there’s perhaps a little sting in hearing their former winger describe Barcelona as the place where he can finally compete for everything. But Gordon wasn’t dismissing what he achieved in England.

He spoke warmly about all three clubs and the lessons they taught him. The difference, as he sees it, is that he’s now at a club where the expectation is to win every competition he enters.

And after spending his early Premier League years worrying about what was happening at the bottom of the table, it’s understandable why that sounds rather appealing.