Anthony Gordon's behind the scenes reaction gives…

Anthony Gordon's behind the scenes reaction gives Newcastle hope before summer 'game-changer'

Eddie Howe has predicted that pre-season will be a 'game-changer' for Anthony Gordon after the Newcastle United winger bought into the 'squad feel' at the club.

Gordon has made just three starts for Newcastle since completing his £45m move from Everton and apologised after reacting angrily to being taken off at Brentford back in April. However, Gordon has learned lessons from that flashpoint.

Gordon did not let his disappointment show after he was hooked at half-time against Southampton last month and the 22-year-old was among those substitutes who joined the starters' celebratory huddle after Deniz Undav put through his own net for Newcastle's opener in the 4-1 win against Brighton on Thursday night. Gordon did not get on the field until the 95th minute, but the delighted substitute was whooping as he made his way back to the dressing room after the game and had a huge smile on his face in the team photograph that was taken a short while later.

Clearly, Gordon has bought into the team-first mentality that has helped take third-placed Newcastle to within a win of Champions League qualification.

"Anthony is very much integrated into the squad," Howe told reporters. "He's got the squad feel. When you come into a new group like he has, which is especially difficult in January, you have got to understand the squad, the feeling, the aim. Every club is different so Anthony has had to join that feeling.

"He's very much integrating really well into the squad. When I look at him at lunchtimes and when the players are socialising and eating together, he's always in the hub of it. He's not excluded. He's very much in the core of the group. That's a great thing for me to see.

"He's settling in really well and I can't wait to get a pre-season with him because that will be a game-changer for him because we can really get him integrated into our style and system of play. He's there already, but there's a lot more to come."

You can see why pre-season is so important for Howe. An intense summer helped Newcastle transition from a side that relied on the counter-attack to one that played on the front foot before the start of the current campaign and it also gave the players a base to be able to cope with the Magpies head coach's huge demands.

Gordon may have already had extensive Premier League experience when he arrived mid-season, but the winger was short of what Howe called 'high-end fitness'. As well as getting up to speed, physically, Gordon has also had to learn exactly what is expected of him in and out of possession in a very different set-up to what he was used to at Everton.

As Gordon continues to adjust, and Allan Saint-Maximin builds up his minutes, Alexander Isak has filled in on the left in recent weeks, which has enabled Howe to field top scorer Callum Wilson through the middle. The ability to play in a number of different positions is something Howe looks for in his forwards and Gordon certainly ticks that box.

"Anthony is versatile," he added. "He's not necessarily just an out and out winger. That's his best position currently, but he's played as a number nine for Everton.

"He's played as a number 10 for us against Bournemouth. He played as a number eight coming off the bench against Liverpool. There was another game where we put him in as a number eight as an emergency and he's done well in each position so it's great to have players with versatility within the squad.

"Joelinton would highlight that - he's played everywhere across our midfield this season for us - and players like that are so valuable. Anthony fits that mould."

Anthony Gordon's behind the scenes reaction gives Newcastle hope before summer 'game-changer'

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