Anthony Gordon believes Everton’s trip to Australia was a 'confidence booster' for his side and explained why he is using Jude Bellingham as an inspiration.
Everton flew out to Australia last month for a training camp and tournament during the World Cup break. The schedule saw the Blues take on Celtic and Western Sydney Wanderers in two matches for the Sydney Super Cup.
The Blues arrived in Australia just one point above the drop zone after a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth in their final Premier League game before the break. That result at the Vitality Stadium meant the Blues had lost five of their last seven top-flight games before their trip to Australia - and were also dumped out of the Carabao Cup by the Cherries just days before their league defeat.
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After a couple of days training Down Under, the Blues beat Celtic on penalties in their first match of the Sydney Cup after the game had initially finished 0-0. Then, just days later, Frank Lampard’s side claimed a 5-1 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Gordon scored a hat-trick for the Blues that night, but it was youngsters Tom Cannon, who scored his first senior goal in the game, and Issac Price who caught the eye. Speaking after the win over Celtic, Lampard also credited Price with being 'the best player on the pitch'.
Everton return to Premier League action next Monday when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Goodison Park. Just four points separate the two clubs in the table, with the Molineux club currently rock bottom.
But Gordon is confident his side can turn things around once the campaign resumes and believes the trip to Australia helped boost team morale.
He said: “Everton is a family club and all we can ask is that you stick by us throughout the season and we will try and give you as many good days as we can.
“We have got a good group and it should be no problem. We had a really good trip in Australia, which I thought was massive for team morale and a confidence booster really. There were some great performances there.”
The 21-year-old, who is yet to feature in Gareth Southgate’s senior Enlgand set-up, is considered an integral member of Lee Carsley's under-21 side which travels to the European Championship next summer.
But one man who has already established himself as a regular for Southgate’s side is Jude Bellingham. The midfielder was by far the breakthrough star for England during the World Cup in Qatar.
A symbol of hope for a brighter future for England, which Gordon is hoping to be involved in, the midfielder is considered one of the hottest prospects in football, having joined Borussia Dortmund from Birmingham City in the summer of 2020.
“It is really inspiring,” Gordon told Granada Reports when asked about Bellingham's World Cup performances. “Once you see other people do it before you, if they can do it I can do it, if I am willing to work hard enough.
"As long as that pathway is there. The manager and the FA are really pushing the youth, so it is there.”
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