Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has strongly criticised former England internationals Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer after comments questioning his commitment during the club’s recent Champions League match.
The criticism followed Newcastle’s round of 16 first leg against Barcelona earlier this week, where Gordon was named on the bench despite travelling with the squad. Head coach Eddie Howe had confirmed before the match that the winger had been ill in the days leading up to the game.
Both Rooney and Shearer publicly questioned why Gordon was unavailable to start despite being present with the team.
Anthony Gordon responds to Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer criticism
Speaking after Newcastle’s 1–0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Gordon rejected the criticism and described the comments as inaccurate.
“Usually I don’t like to clear stuff up because I don’t care too much but this one does need clearing up because it was just nonsense.” — Anthony Gordon
The England international explained that he had been ill for several days before the Champions League match and had missed training sessions.
“I was in bed for three days, missed training. I turned up on the day of the game ready to start and thought I was going to start.” — Anthony Gordon
However, Howe decided to start the match without him, later introducing the winger for the final stages of the game.
Rooney and Shearer questioned Newcastle decision
Prior to the match, both Rooney and Shearer suggested that Gordon’s availability should have allowed him to start in such an important fixture.
Shearer argued that missing a Champions League knockout match would require exceptional circumstances, while Rooney questioned the logic of Gordon being around teammates if he was ill.
Gordon disputed one of the claims directly when speaking after Newcastle’s victory against Chelsea.
“Saying I didn’t want to play in the biggest game of my career is absolute nonsense.” — Anthony Gordon
He also clarified the situation regarding an incident mentioned during the broadcast.
“I got changed by myself in a changing room the size of this. It was just me and a sink. So complete nonsense. I think they need to do better at what they are doing.” — Anthony Gordon
Newcastle forward responds with decisive performance
Gordon’s response on the pitch came quickly. Starting against Chelsea in the Premier League, the winger scored the only goal of the match as Newcastle secured a valuable 1–0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
The win lifted Newcastle into the top half of the Premier League table and strengthened their push for a strong finish to the campaign.
From the last few weeks of Newcastle’s season, Gordon has remained one of the team’s most influential attacking players, combining direct running with an ability to deliver decisive moments in big matches.
Key Insights
- Anthony Gordon criticised Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer after their comments.
- The Newcastle winger missed training earlier in the week due to illness.
- He appeared from the bench against Barcelona in the Champions League.
- Gordon then scored the winning goal against Chelsea in the Premier League.
- Newcastle secured a 1–0 victory at Stamford Bridge.
What’s Next
Newcastle United will now turn their focus back to the Champions League as they prepare for the second leg of their knockout tie against Barcelona. Gordon’s fitness will remain important as Eddie Howe looks to balance domestic league commitments with European competition during the closing weeks of the season.
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