Inside Rafa Benitez’s critical Everton decision that Newcastle United supporters will adore

Inside Rafa Benitez’s critical Everton decision that Newcastle United supporters will adore Despite initially struggling to secure a berth in Eddie Howe’s

first-team during his first half of the season on Tyneside, he flourished during a brilliant Under-21’s European Championship with England. Subsequently, he returned to the north east and established himself in the left wing position.

Gordon’s first complete campaign was a triumph, as his ability to score in pivotal matches secured a number of points for Howe’s team. He scored 12 goals and 11 assists. Initially, the Magpies’ decision to allocate £40m to acquire Gordon in January 2023 was perceived as an exorbitant sum of money for a player who had scored only seven top-flight goals up to that point.

Nevertheless, he has since emerged as one of the most captivating talents in the league, and it is evident that the evaluators who recruited him had identified a quality in the winger that captivated them. This quality may have been the same as what Benitez had identified a year prior.

Despite his limited tenure as Toffees manager from June 2021 to January 2022, the Spaniard was instrumental in providing Gordon with his first experience of regular senior football by including him in all but three of his 18 Premier League matchday squads.

Gordon’s raw talents were never in question for Benitez; however, there was one specific quality that he desired the adolescent to cultivate in order to become a top-tier player: his stamina.

“We discovered that he had some stamina issues, and as a result, we were addressing them.” At that time, he was capable of performing sprints; however, his recovery was inadequate. Consequently, we initiated an effort to enhance his stamina. I recall that he was required to travel with the Under-21 team, but he declined. Subsequently, he was immediately deployed with the national team once his stamina improved.