Anthony Gordon: "In England I was never really valued, and in Spain they do appreciate my intelligence"

'Anthony Gordon, the 70 million euro F.C. Barcelona forward who admitted to being a "Mourinho supporter",gave an interview to "ITV Sport" in which he believes that his talent "was never fully respected" in England , which is why he wanted to leave the Premier League.'

Am I valued more in England now? I think they’re starting to do so.

"I think I've become a different player in the eyes of many people, because I always felt that in England I was respected for my speed and my pressing, but they never really came to value the quality and intelligence with which I play," highlighted the former Newcastle player.

'Anthony Gordon: "In England I was never valued, they only saw me as a very fast and very aggressive player"'

'Gordon, who is enjoying a great start to the season with Hansi Flick's Barça , stressed that "it seems that only the teammates I play with realize that. I think that now that I'm at Barcelona and playing with a different style, those qualities stand out much more and people are starting to see that I'm not just fast".'

At Barcelona, if you don't have good technique or intelligence, you stand out a lot

The 25-year-old forward was critical of how he was viewed in his country before signing for Barcelona: "I think I was never really valued in England, because people only saw me as a very fast and very aggressive player. On the other hand, I think in Spain they do appreciate my game intelligence and my quality; at Barcelona, if you don't have good technique or intelligence, you stand out a lot in a bad way."

Yes, sometimes it is necessary to leave in order to be appreciated and, honestly, that was more or less what I wanted. I wanted to leave the Premier League

"Am I valued more now in England? I think they’re starting to do so. I believe there is still room for improvement in that regard, but they are already starting to see it by watching me play at Barcelona with a different footballing style, where perhaps those other qualities stand out more," he pointed out.

'Gordon recalled that "I played for Newcastle, a team that based its game on great intensity and physical exertion, so what stood out most was my ability to run and my aggression. Now I play a completely opposite style, which allows my other qualities to come to the fore".'

"Yes, sometimes it is necessary to leave in order to be valued and, honestly, that was more or less what I wanted. I wanted to leave the Premier League. I was looking for a different experience and that was exactly what I wanted. I felt that I could offer more than people thought of me and I wanted to prove it on the biggest stage in the world," he shared.