Anthony Gordon abandoned plans to conduct a pre-match press conference in Spanish, opting for English after nerves got the better of him before Barcelona's Champions League clash with Aston Villa.
The 25-year-old winger joined Barcelona from Newcastle United in a £69million transfer this past summer. He has scored three goals and contributed five assists in 14 appearances across all competitions this season, starting 10 games under head coach Hansi Flick, including the last three Champions League matches.
Prepared Answers Left Unused
Gordon played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona's 3-0 victory over Aston Villa earlier this week. According to Sport, he had prepared potential answers with Barcelona's media team and his Spanish tutor the night before the game. However, facing a room of 100 journalists, he spoke in English instead.
Despite this, Gordon did answer questions in Spanish at his official presentation as a Barcelona player for the first time. His language learning was aided by daily discussions with a Spanish physiotherapist during his time at Newcastle United.
Adjusting to Life in Spain
Gordon had spent his entire football career in England before moving to Catalonia. He said his first few months in Spain led to people from his country respecting "the quality and IQ that I play with."
Clarifying his comments to ESPN, Gordon said: "I didn't mean people were judging me wrong or had a negative perspective of me. I meant they had never seen me in a system that highlights these qualities. People hadn't seen me in this kind of system before, which I think is helping them appreciate me more."
England Call-Up and Praise for Tuchel
Gordon was called up by Thomas Tuchel on Friday for England's Nations League clashes against Croatia and world champions Spain. He spoke about his appreciation for the German coach, saying: "He's been massive in my development. Your international career isn't long, so I'm grateful every time I play for England, it's almost sacred and I'm very proud to have him as my coach."
