Newcastle United forward Anthony Gordon rubbished criticism of his unavailability for the midweek Champions League tie against Barcelona as “absolute nonsense” and “complete and utter stupidity,” specifically singling out Wayne Rooney for pedaling an apparent lie about not being greeted.
Much to the surprise of many onlookers, Gordon was only named among the substitutes for Newcastle’s round of 16 first leg at home to Barcelona on Tuesday night. It was made known that the team’s leading scorer had been suffering from illness in the buildup to the fixture, yet that didn’t convince the likes of retired Manchester United hard man Roy Keane or Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, who both questioned why he was well enough to come on for the final quarter of the 1–1 draw.
“If you’re ill, you’re ill. You shouldn’t be there,” Rooney, calling upon all his medical expertise, declared on The Overlap. “He walked past us before the game and wouldn’t shake our hands. He said he didn’t want us to catch anything, but then he’s going into the dressing room with his teammates.”
Gordon bluntly denied that sequence of events.
Emboldened by scoring the only goal of a rare win for Newcastle away to Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, Gordon set the record straight on BBC’s Match of the Day: “I think Rooney said I went past and didn’t shake their hands and went into the changing room. I didn’t.
“I got changed by myself in a changing room the size of this. It was just me and a sink. Complete nonsense. I think they need to do better at what they are doing.”
Gordon Lays Out Exactly Why He Didn’t Play Against Barcelona
“The media guy told me what was being said was complete and utter stupidity,” Gordon seethed in the bowels of Stamford Bridge.
“I was in bed for three days, missed training, so sick for three days. Then I turned up on the day of the game, ready to start the game—I thought I was starting. When I got to the stadium, the manager told me I wasn’t playing, which, you can imagine, I didn’t like very much, but that’s his decision. And the team played great.
“But saying I didn’t want to play in the biggest game of my career is absolute nonsense.”
Eddie Howe Doubles Down on Gordon Stance
In his postmatch debrief following the spirited draw against Barcelona, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe made a point of insisting that it was his decision to bench Gordon who was “absolutely willing to play.”
Howe hailed Gordon’s “single-mindedness” in the week and it proved to be a trait which he returned to on Saturday.
“He’s so single-minded and focused on what he needs to do that a lot of the noise just brushes off him, which is a great thing to be able to do if you’re him,” Howe beamed. “I’d encourage every player to do it. Don’t get distracted, don’t absorb it, don’t take anything in—just focus on what you need to do.
“That’s what he always does. He’s been in a really good place of late. I’ve been very happy with what he’s delivered. This was a big game and he really stepped up. He scored the goal but contributed in so many ways to the win.”
