Barcelona fans have already come up with a new nickname for Anthony Gordon after only three games!
Anthony Gordon has quickly earned a new nickname at Barcelona after an impressive start to the La Liga season.
He joined Barcelona from Newcastle for £69.3 million at the beginning of the summer transfer window. Gordon made his first official appearance during Barca’s 5-0 win over Elche in the opening game of the season.
The 25-year-old impressed by providing two assists, becoming the first player in the 21st century to do that on his La Liga debut. He then started in the 2-0 win against Athletic Bilbao and gave his third assist in a 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Monday.
In that match, Gordon skillfully cut inside, then backheeled the ball to Raphinha, who scored. Even midfielder Rodri, playing just his second game after the World Cup break, looked amazed by the move.
It’s clear Gordon is settling in well in Spain, and Barcelona fans have already given him a fun new nickname. A banner outside Camp Nou showed Gordon wearing sunglasses with the words “Antoni Gros e Catala,” which means “Big Anthony is Catalan” in English.
Gordon surprised many by speaking Spanish at his official Barcelona unveiling in June. He shared that he always dreamed of playing for Barca and wanted to learn the language because of it.
In an interview with The Guardian in July, he said: “We play football and we kid ourselves that we play to win. We want to win, of course. But we want to see who we can become. I come from a simple, poor background and have worked hard to reach this level. I want to keep growing, learn new languages, read books, and discover who I can be.”
Gordon joins a small group of only 13 English players to have played competitively for Barcelona, and just four since World War I. Other English players like Marcus Rashford and Gary Lineker have also worn the Barca shirt. After a loan spell last season, Rashford returned to Manchester United and is expected to stay there beyond the summer transfer window.