Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has dismissed criticism from Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer regarding his absence from the starting XI against Barcelona in the Champions League. Gordon, who scored the winning goal against Chelsea on Saturday, clarified that he was ill and not unwilling to play.
Speaking to Match of the Day, Gordon said: 'Usually I don't like to clear stuff up because I don't care too much. But this one does need clearing up because it was just nonsense.' He added that manager Eddie Howe informed him he would not start, and that he was confined to bed for three days before the match.
Rooney had questioned why Gordon did not shake hands with pundits before the game, but Gordon explained he was in a separate changing room due to illness. 'I got changed by myself in a changing room the size of this. It was just me and a sink. Complete nonsense,' he said.
Howe confirmed at a press conference that Gordon was willing to play but was not deemed fit by medical staff. 'It was my decision not to start him based on the fact he'd been ill that morning and not attended the training session,' Howe stated.
