Anthony Gordon has responded to false claims about his absence from the starting lineup against Barcelona after scoring the winning goal against Chelsea on Saturday.
The winger scored in the 18th minute, helping the Magpies secure their first victory at Stamford Bridge since 2020.
Gordon had been benched for the previous match against Barcelona due to illness and came on as a substitute in the 67th minute.
The 25-year-old faced criticism from Alan Shearer and Roy Keane, who implied he was unwilling to play against Barcelona. Wayne Rooney, who was analyzing the game, questioned why Gordon avoided handshakes with them but later sat with teammates.
Gordon responds to critics after key goal at Chelsea
“I usually don’t address these things because I don’t care much, but this time it needs clarification—it’s just nonsense,” he told BBC Match of the Day.
“What I heard from the media was complete stupidity. I was in bed for three days and missed training. I arrived on game day thinking I would be starting.”
“When I reached the stadium, the manager informed me I wouldn’t be playing, which I didn’t like, but that’s his choice and the team did well.
“Claiming I didn’t want to participate in such an important match is pure nonsense. Regarding Rooney’s comment about me not shaking hands and going into the locker room, that’s false. I changed by myself in a very small space, just me and a sink.
“It’s absolutely not true, and I think they need to do better in their reporting.”
See Also – Thierry Henry’s poise, Roy Keane’s red mist and the most iconic Premier League imagery of the 2000s
Add Footem.in As your Preferred Source on Google
Follow the latest on Footem WhatsApp Channel
