After a breath-taking display against Qarabag, Anthony Gordon used his media duties to air his grievances about some claims about his future
Anthony Gordon has dismissed rumours he's set to depart Newcastle United as "a load of rubbish." Gordon, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, netted four times in the first half against Qarabag in the Champions League.
His devastating performance in front of goal helped record a 6-1 away victory in Azerbaijan, which all but secures the Magpies' place in the round of 16. Despite his magnificent display, which saw him score the fastest Champions League hat-trick from any English player, Gordon astonishingly claimed he wasn't pleased with his performance and should have bagged six.
His stellar showing follows reports linking him with a move to Arsenal, Manchester United or his boyhood club Liverpool. However, Gordon insists there's no truth to these claims.
When quizzed about the rumours of him being the next big star to exit Tyneside, he told Chronicle Live: "About me? I haven't seen them. What are they saying?"
Upon hearing he's been associated with Arsenal and Liverpool recently, Gordon responded: "It's the same old, same old. I think they just pick names out of a hat. They do (names out of the hat). I haven't heard anything; they might want to tell me before they tell you (the media)."
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When asked if he simply wanted to concentrate on becoming a Newcastle legend, Gordon said: "Of course. I have gone through enough transfer stuff now to know that it is all a load of rubbish."
Gordon has previously confessed he was intrigued by the potential of a move to Anfield when rumours first appeared in the summer of 2024. But now aged 24, the maturing striker offered a refreshingly candid response when discussing his future as he sent a clear message to his team-mates.
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He said: "I am focused on me and focused on the team, I am focused on right now.
"You look too far in the future and you start to underperform. And believe me I have done that (before) and I am not going to do that now."
Gordon's haul of Champions League strikes now stands at 10 for the campaign, with 14 across all competitions this season. Yet he remained frustrated at not adding to his tally, admitting: "Yeah, I should have scored more.
"I should have had six goals. I missed two chances that I should score. I don't want to call them easy but they were chances that I should score. I am always looking for more.
"I scored four but I am that type of person, I am not fully happy with what I have achieved, it should have been six, maybe next time."
In the immediate aftermath, Eddie Howe refused to accept the tie was settled at 6-1. Gordon echoed that sentiment by saying: "A tie is never dead - even at 6-1. We have all watched football enough, anything can happen.
"They are a great team, they have a lot of quality, I actually think we just defended really well. We didn't give them many opportunities. But we have our mentality, and we look forward to the next leg."
The dream of silverware remains alive for Newcastle, with the FA Cup path still open alongside the more challenging route to Budapest for the final. When asked whether Newcastle could lift a trophy this season, Gordon concluded the interview by saying: "I hope so, I hope so."