Gordon Reveals Rashford's Advice After Moving to Barcelona

The English international Anthony Gordon spoke about the behind-the-scenes of his transfer to Barcelona, revealing the role his compatriot Marcus Rashford played in helping him get acquainted with the atmosphere of the Catalan club, following his official joining of the Spanish champions during the current transfer window.

Gordon, 25, completed his transfer from Newcastle United to Barcelona in a deal worth £70 million, before immediately joining the England national team's camp in preparation for the 2026 World Cup.

Gordon's transfer comes at a time when Rashford's future with Barcelona remains undecided, after spending last season with the team on loan from Manchester United, as the Catalan club awaits a decision on whether to activate the final purchase clause.

During his speech following the English team's 1-0 victory over New Zealand, Gordon revealed the content of the conversation he had with Rashford after his move to Barcelona, confirming that the Manchester United striker praised the atmosphere within the club.

Gordon said, "Just tell me how amazing the players are there and the team spirit they have, which is something I've also heard from people inside Barcelona."

He added, "I am eagerly looking forward to joining them. He also talked to me about the city and suitable places to live."

He continued: "He is a wonderful person who cares about others, and he was just providing me with some useful information."

The English player expressed his great happiness at completing the deal, confirming that moving to Barcelona represents a significant milestone in his football career.

He said, "It was an extremely busy two weeks, but they were the best two weeks for me and my family."

He continued: "Since I was young, I used to tell my family that I would reach this stage. Everyone congratulated me and expressed their happiness with what I have achieved."

Despite his joy at joining the Catalan giant, Gordon emphasized that his goal is not limited to wearing the Barcelona jersey, but extends beyond that to competing for all championships.

He continued: "I'm not satisfied with just playing for Barcelona. I want to win everything. I feel that my true career is starting now. I've reached the stage I always said I would reach, and now I must rise to a higher level."

In another context, Gordon downplayed the controversy surrounding the jersey numbers of the England national team, after Rashford received the number 11 jersey while he was given number 18, which some interpreted as an indication of the players' ranking by coach Thomas Tuchel.

He said, "I don't care about that at all. If you look at this group, you can assign any player numbers from 1 to 11, as we all have enough quality."

He added: "I don't care about the jersey number. I'm here to win with England. I'm not thinking about myself or my personal matters, but about the team's interest."

He concluded his remarks on this matter by saying, "Give me any number you want, it won't change anything for me."

Gordon also addressed his physical condition before the start of the World Cup, admitting that he is still working on regaining the best possible fitness after being away from matches in the final weeks of last season.

He said: "Even if you stay away from football for just two days, it feels like you haven't played for a long time. Not playing for several weeks was difficult, but I trained very well."

He added, "I was more prepared than I expected in the last match, and I feel like I'm heading in the right direction. The pitch was dry, so it was difficult to regain the feel of the ball, but we gradually adapted."

Gordon concluded his remarks by affirming that the English national team has all the necessary components to compete, noting that the team only needs to regain harmony and full collective rhythm before the start of the 2026 World Cup.