Anthony Gordon is just 90 minutes away from England history after the Under-21 side reached the European Championship final on Wednesday. Lee Carsley's Young Lions kept their tournament clean sheet record intact with a 3-0 win over Israel's Under-21s and will face Spain's youngsters in Saturday's final.
Gordon has a chance of landing Player of the Tournament after helping himself to two goals and an assist so far in the competition. The Newcastle forward has been used as a central striker for the majority of the Euros, no doubt giving Eddie Howe food for thought ahead of pre-season.
“It’s a great achievement for the players. We spoke about creating our own history,” Carsley told a press conference. “We’ve done well up till now, but the next thing is the biggest thing. It comes in three days, so recovery will be important now.
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“I still think we’ve still got a lot of improving to do. There’s still another level for this team to go. They’ve really grown as a group and they’re getting everything they deserve. I’m so, so pleased for them because I’m a big believer that we’ve got so much quality and they just need the opportunity."
Gordon's international exploits will no doubt have a knock-on effect for Newcastle. The St James' Park faithful were already excited to see what the £40m January signing could do with a full pre-season under Howe and have been pleasantly surprised by his ability through the middle in recent weeks.
Gordon often was used as a 'false nine' during his Everton days but his goal record at Goodison Park wasn't anything to write home about. The 22-year-old finally found the net in a black and white shirt in the Premier League finale with Chelsea back in May.
But what does Howe do with him when pre-season rolls around? Gordon isn't likely to muscle his way into the fight between Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson through the middle but has certainly played himself into contention to be the club's third-choice striker.
That takes a significant amount of pressure of Dan Ashworth and the transfer team on Tyneside, who were no doubt looking to fill the gap in the squad following Chris Wood's January exit. The Forest deal made perfect business sense for Newcastle but leaves the north east outfit short in attack if Wilson succumbs to another injury.
Gordon has struggled to find his feet since his ugly Everton exit at the turn of the year and injuries have also plagued his stint in the north east so far but recent performances have sparked encouragement. It therefore wouldn't be a surprise to see the Merseyside-born flyer start more games for Newcastle off the back of the Euros, causing one of his team-mates to drop out.
Allan Saint-Maximin was already facing a tough task regaining his starting place in Howe's side and will now face added competition should he decide to stay put this summer. The Frenchman continues to be linked with a move away after an inconsistent season but the majority of Newcastle supporters are hopeful he stays put.
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Joelinton has filled the left-sided attacker role with ease of late and many have suggested his future may lie there after Sandro Tonali's recent arrival. The Brazilian's versatility stands him in good stead but he is another who will have to work hard to ensure he keeps his spot.
With the likes of Harvey Barnes and Sadio Mane tentatively linked to Newcastle, does Howe really need to even go and strengthen in that position? Gordon's recent flourish will have done him the world of good and all of a sudden his Newcastle co-stars may just be looking over their shoulders. Just what Howe wants.
Gordon recently admitted his England form and new striker role is helping him improve. “It’s very different,” said the Newcastle star.
“Obviously, I haven’t played there many times so it doesn’t come naturally. I’m seeing a lot of the game in front of me, which is helping me a bit. I’m playing off Morgs (Gibbs-White), which is quite easy because he moves a lot.
“I’m getting a better understanding of football playing in different positions, a number eight and on the wings for Newcastle and now as a number nine. To be honest, I feel like it may be my best position because I think I’m better running off people."
