Ex-England boss Southgate ‘miffed’ by Gordon crash with interview ‘not well received’

Former England boss Gareth Southgate was ‘miffed’ by Anthony Gordon’s bike crash during Euro 2024 with the Newcastle winger kept out the side following his fall.

The 23-year-old headed into the Euros as one of the most in form players in the England squad but can count himself unlucky to not see more minutes as the Three Lions exited the tournament in a 2-1 loss to Spain in the final .

Gordon contributed 11 goals and ten assists in 35 Premier League appearances last term but was only given around 300 seconds in a group match against Slovenia to impress for England at Euro 2024.

Three Lions supporters were desperate for Southgate to allow some of his flair players to express themselves at the tournament but the England boss once again deployed a more pragmatic approach, which ended up getting them to the final.

Ultimately it ended in disappointment and now the Daily Mail insists that Gordon’s lack of minutes at Euro 2024 was down to his bike crash and an interview hinting that England should be less predictable.

The Daily Mail claimed:

‘Gareth Southgate did not use the winger again. It was said he was miffed by both the crash – Gordon was using his mobile phone – and the player then telling the media that England’s style was too predictable.’

Although he didn’t explicitly state that, the interview ahead of their last-16 clash with Slovakia clearly hinted that England were too predictable and that’s why he was out of the team.

Gordon said: “I know I am a nightmare for anyone that I play against. I’m positive. Every time I get the ball, I always try to make something happen.

“I’m not a very safe player. I am always trying to put people on the back foot. I think I add a different element to the team. It (my style) brings a sense of unpredictability.”

The report the Daily Mail added: ‘Sources close to the camp suspected some of it was not well received among management.’

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When asked last week what England were missing at Euro 2024, Gordon said: “I think that expression, that freedom to express yourself. You could say we controlled all our games, but I don’t think we were very dynamic. We weren’t killing teams, we weren’t relentless in trying to score goals. We lacked a bit of excitement.”

After Saturday’s match with the Republic of Ireland, in which he started, Gordon was asked why England looked different under Lee Carsley, he said: “I think freedom. Not structured players here, there and everywhere.

“You had Jack (Grealish) going all over the pitch and they couldn’t really pick him up. Me and Bukayo (Saka) tried to hold the width and make runs in behind, so the lads could get in the ball more.

“It was sort of positionless football in a sense, where people can pick the ball up wherever, intricate passing, but always with the main focus of trying to score goals.”