Anthony Gordon has quickly become a fan favorite at Barcelona thanks to his recent choice off the field.

Anthony Gordon has quickly become a fan favorite at Barcelona thanks to his recent choice off the field.

Anthony Gordon has had an amazing start at Barcelona, helping set up three goals in his first three La Liga games. He’s also making a big impression off the field.

Since moving from Newcastle United this summer for £69.3 million, Gordon has settled into life in Spain really well. The 25-year-old came off the bench to assist twice in his Barcelona debut, a 5-0 win against Elche. That made him the first player this century to get multiple assists in his La Liga debut.

His third assist, a clever backheel pass to Raphinha in a 5-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, even surprised new teammate Rodri, who watched the goal in amazement.

Barcelona fans have already given Gordon a fun nickname, calling him ‘Antoni Gros,’ which means ‘Big Anthony’ in English.

Gordon has been learning Spanish since his Newcastle days, and at his Barcelona press conference in June, he even answered questions in Spanish. But according to Spanish newspaper SPORT, he’s also started learning Catalan – the local language spoken by about 70% of people in Barcelona.

“He’s really interested in learning more about Catalan,” the report said. “He doesn’t want to just pass through Barcelona but truly wants to fit in with the club and the local culture.”

Gordon signed a five-year deal at Camp Nou, keeping him at the club until 2031. He told The Telegraph it only took him six lessons to speak some Spanish fluently when he was introduced to the team, and he’s been working hard on the language since.

“It’s tough because you have to think in English and translate everything to Spanish,” Gordon said. “It’s not easy, but I’m doing my best.”

He also joked, “I wouldn’t say I’m super smart, but I started practicing Spanish with my Spanish physiotherapist at Newcastle, which helped a lot.”

Barcelona’s next game is on Sunday against Valencia at the Estadio de Mestalla. Gordon hopes to keep his run going with a third straight start after playing against Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Bilbao.