Anthony Gordon has revealed a mental adjustment was key to his turnaround in form at the World Cup, transforming him into "a man possessed." The England winger, who initially struggled in the opening group matches, found his stride after coming off the bench against DR Congo, providing two assists for Harry Kane.
Gordon admitted to feeling rusty and playing too conservatively in the first two games, a stark contrast to his impactful performance against Mexico. "The first two games didn't go how I dreamt of starting in a World Cup, at all!" Gordon stated. "I felt like I played safe. I wasn't playing to my strengths. So when I got the chance against Congo, I said to myself, 'I'm not doing that, I'm going to do the things that got me here'. It paid off. Yeah, I felt like a man possessed when I came on."
His performance against Mexico, a 3-2 victory, included winning a penalty and later shifting into midfield to help the team secure the win with 10 men. The match also produced a viral clip of Mexico's manager, Javier Aguirre, directing an expletive at Gordon from the touchline. Gordon, who signed for Barcelona and speaks fluent Spanish, took the incident in good humor. "With all the heat and tension around the game, it was a bit of fun," he said. "I'd just run the full back down the line, so it was a compliment - that's how I took it anyway! He was a funny guy. He was talking to me and Jude all game. I liked it!"
Gordon also spoke about the significance of his shirt number for the tournament. Initially hoping for the No. 11, he was assigned the No. 18, the same number he wore during Euro 2024, a tournament where he felt his involvement was limited. "When we got the squad numbers for this tournament, I'm not going to lie, I wanted number 11! But when I got number 18, which I had at the Euros, I thought, 'Actually, this gives me the opportunity to put that right, to make something special from it.'"
Despite the elation of the Mexico victory, Gordon emphasized the team's focus on upcoming matches. "I don't want to speak about that game (Mexico) again," he stated. "It was an amazing memory, some great moments made, but in reality that's not what we came here for, just to win that game. I don't want it to feel like that was the final. It was an emotional high but we need to get rid of it now. Getting criticised can drain you, but getting praised can drain you too."