Anthony Gordon has already earned a new nickname at Barcelona after his impressive start to the La Liga season.
Gordon joined Barcelona from Newcastle for £69.3 million at the start of the summer window.
He made his competitive debut in Barca’s 5-0 win away to Elche in the league opener. The 25-year-old provided two assists – and at the same time became the first player in the 21st century with two assists in his La Liga debut.
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Gordon started for the first time in La Liga in the 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, and followed it up with his third assist of the season in the 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
Magic heel kick
The left winger cut into the box on his right foot – before playfully putting the ball back with his heel, allowing Raphinha to easily put the ball into the goal.
It was a lovely assist that even made midfielder Rodri hold his head – the Spaniard was in for his second Barca appearance after his extended World Cup break.
Gordon has clearly settled in quickly in Spain – and has already been given a brand new nickname by Barcelona fans.
“Antoni Gros e Catala”
Outside Camp Nou, a banner has appeared, which is now circulating on social media. It shows Gordon with sunglasses – and the text:
“Antoni Gros e Catala”
In Norwegian, it means:
“Great Anthony is a Catalan.”
Surprised with Spanish
Gordon surprised many in Barcelona already in June, when he answered questions in Spanish during the presentation.
He explained that as a child, he had thought that he would one day play for Barca – and that he therefore wanted to learn the language.
“We play football and pretend to play to win,” he told The Guardian in July.
“We want to win, of course. But we also want to see who we can become.
“I’ve always been very curious about who I can become – mentally. I come from a very poor environment, an ordinary family – and I’ve travelled all the way here.
“I want to keep doing it. I want to learn as many languages as possible, read as many books as possible – and see what kind of person I can become.
One of the few Englishmen in Barca
Gordon is one of only 13 English players to have played a competitive match for Barcelona – and one of four to have done so since the end of the First World War.
Marcus Rashford and Gary Lineker have previously represented Barca, but the Catalans chose not to make Rashford’s loan deal permanent after last season. The 28-year-old is now back at Manchester United – and will remain at Old Trafford even after the transfer deadline.
