Anthony Gordon: The Long Road to Finding His Home at Barcelona
On 16 March 2025, Anthony Gordon stood on the touchline at Wembley and watched his Newcastle teammates walk out for the Carabao Cup final. He couldn't join them because a red card against Brighton two weeks earlier had ruled him out. Anthony Gordon’s Barcelona journey marks a new chapter in his search for recognition and belonging.
He said it was hard to watch at first. Once the game started, he felt like any other fan. When the final whistle went, he ran on to celebrate. Newcastle had just won their first major domestic trophy in 70 years.
From Liverpool’s Academy to Everton’s First Team
Gordon's story started a long way from that day. He was born in Liverpool and joined Liverpool's academy at six. He is believed to have grown up supporting the club. At 11, they let him go.
Everton took him in. He made his first-team debut at 16, as a late sub in a Europa League game in December 2017. His Premier League debut came in January 2020. He spent the second half of 2020-21 on loan at Preston, then came back and was named Everton's Player of the Year for 2021-22.
Leaving Everton and Finding Success at Newcastle
Then it went wrong. In January 2023, with Everton struggling, angry fans surrounded Gordon's car outside Goodison Park. Other players were targeted too. Soon after, he asked to leave and joined Newcastle for £45 million. He later said leaving was much harder than people think.
When he went back, the boos came. Fans jeered him in April 2023, again in December 2023, and all game in October 2024, when Jordan Pickford saved his penalty. But not every Everton fan felt the same. Jamie Carragher, who grew up supporting Everton, criticised the club's official account for joking about the miss.
At Newcastle, he played 152 games, scored 39 goals, and was named Player of the Year for 2023–24. After the cup win, he was at the front of a victory parade with around 300,000 people on the streets. Yet he says he never felt fully respected in England.
Why Anthony Gordon Chose Barcelona
He told ITV that people there rated him for being fast and pressing. They never really rated the quality and brain in his game. Only the players who played with him seemed to see it. He doesn't blame his old clubs. He still thanks Eddie Howe, Frank Lampard and Rafa Benitez. But in May 2026, he joined Barcelona, and he says it feels different.
He was the club's first signing of the 2026-27 season. The fans took to him fast, which surprised him. These are people who grew up on Messi, Luis Suarez and Ronaldinho. Gordon says he has made plenty of runs in his career that nobody saw. Now he plays alongside Pedri, who he says sees everything.
His new teammates helped him settle. Eric Garcia speaks fluent English and helped a lot. Dani Olmo did too. Gordon is learning Spanish and Catalan, and he calls the city warm, with a family feel. What struck him most was how humble everyone is. Nobody talks too much. They train, enjoy it and push each other to improve.
Can Barcelona Become Gordon’s True Home?
On the pitch, it's early days. He has five assists in his first eight games and is still working on goals.
So can a boy who was let go at 11 find where he belongs? It's too soon to call Barcelona his last home. But a player who spent years feeling overlooked now has teammates who see his runs and fans who cheer his effort. Home in football can change. For Gordon, it keeps coming down to the people around him.
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