From St James' Park to the Camp Nou, the winger has become an instant cult hero

On a Barcelona home matchday, the loudest fans gather along Travessera de Les Corts in the shadow of the Camp Nou, packing the bars and lighting flares before kick-off. At the renowned Casa Pin, a new piece of decor appeared in the build-up to the game against Rayo Vallecano: below the signboard hung an England flag, mocked up with a photo of Anthony Gordon in sunglasses, wearing the traditional Catalan barretina hat, as if clutching the Ballon d'Or. The inscription read “Antoni Gros es Català” — a playful nod to the Spanish word gordo (fat), translating roughly as “Anthony the big one is a Catalan.”

It is a measure of how quickly the 25-year-old has won over the Camp Nou faithful since signing from Newcastle United for an initial €70million (£60.1m, $81.4m) in May.

A flying start on the pitch

Barcelona have won all four of their La Liga games this season, scoring 17 goals. After coming off the bench on his debut against Elche, Gordon is now the established starter on the left wing, where he is yet to score but has already delivered four assists.

“His speed, his intensity… it’s all very good for us and exactly what we were looking for in him,” head coach Hansi Flick said after Gordon’s first start against Athletic Club on August 27. “He has just arrived and has potential to improve and go to another level. We need him to reach that.”

The Camp Nou crowd chanted Gordon’s name loudly during a break in play in that Athletic game. He waved back and tapped the club badge. Multiple team-mates went to the England forward afterwards to point out that such a reception is normally a privilege earned over time, not granted within weeks.

His standout moment came against Rayo Vallecano, with a stunning backheel assist to Raphinha that bamboozled the defence. “La asistencia de Anthony Gordon es de JUGÓN,” LaLiga wrote in praise of the pass.

Learning the language(s)

Gordon has made a deliberate effort to embed himself in Catalan life. At his presentation in late May, he answered questions in Spanish, then stopped to speak some Catalan with fans on his way out. Sources close to the player say research had been done beforehand to make a strong impression.

He began learning Spanish with Daniel Martin, a Madrid-born physiotherapist who spent 10 years at Newcastle, and could already hold basic conversations on arrival. He now swaps informal slang with team-mates while taking Spanish and Catalan classes twice a week. He has moved to the city with his partner and son and has been spotted dining at top restaurants such as Botafumeiro.

“Certainly the most impressive thing is how clever he is,” a first-team source said. “As a player, he knows what he can do, what are his strengths and how he can help the manager and the team. He is selfless and reads the game… the most impressive thing about him is that he knows how to make the team better, and he fits well with Flick’s high-pressing philosophy.”

A team player from day one

Gordon’s awareness of dressing-room dynamics was on show in the La Liga opener against Elche. Brought on with 25 minutes left and Barcelona 2-0 up, he ran in behind and found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper — but instead of taking a debut goal, he squared for Fermin Lopez to score Barca’s fourth in a 5-0 win.

“This is an example of Gordon understanding where he is and wanting to do things the right way,” a Barca source said. “That day it was a gift to Fermin, but in the future the team will surely get his back if it’s needed.”

A dream move

Those close to him say joining Barcelona was his dream move. There was strong interest from Bayern Munich this summer, and Gordon is a boyhood Liverpool fan who came through their youth setup before being released at 11. But as soon as Barcelona called, his mind was made up.

“He won’t say it out loud, because that’s not his personality, but Anthony didn’t sign for Barcelona just to make the numbers,” a source from the player’s camp told The Athletic. “He has come here to make a big impact, get to really know the club and the city, and go down in Barca’s history books.”

Gordon is only the second English player to sign for the club on a permanent deal, following Gary Lineker in 1986. The positive atmosphere of a squad built around La Masia graduates has helped his settling-in process. “It does feel like a family. All the players have been extremely nice. There’s a union you hardly see in professional football,” the same source said.

Room to grow

Gordon has primarily been used on the left, his best position according to the coaching staff, but his versatility was a factor in the signing — he has played centrally as a striker for Newcastle and was England’s No 9 when they won the 2023 Under-21 European Championship, scoring twice and assisting once.

“I do think we will see Gordon as a nine at Barca eventually, but right now Raphinha is playing fantastically in the position and there is not a world in which he is taken off that,” a dressing-room source said.

No matter the role, the Camp Nou crowd is thrilled to see “Anthony the big one” becoming one of their own.