Everton youngster Anthony Gordon has Premier League quality, says coach
Everton youngster Anthony Gordon is ready-made for the Premier League, according to the club’s Under-18s boss Paul Tait.
Gordon scored twice on his debut for England’s Under-21s last week, having featured in eight of Everton’s 11 Premier League games so far this season.
It follows a loan spell at Preston North End last season after the 20-year-old struggled to make his mark at Goodison Park.
Tait, who coached Gordon in the Toffees’ academy, believes the winger will only continue to go from strength to strength.
“He’s been given some good opportunities from the manager this season, and Rafa [Benitez] has obviously got confidence in him and gave him a pathway,” he told the club’s official website.
“He’s showing the potential we always thought he had. I think he’s started to mature as a person as well. He’s at that age now, at 20, where he’s starting to grow up, and I think he’s showing that in his performances.
“I always felt he had that Premier League quality in terms of his in-possession work – he can go past players and he can finish. He always stood out in that regard.”
However, Tait admitted that Gordon’s journey has not been straightforward.
“He always had potential, but he wasn’t always a high-flyer,” he said.
“He went through what a lot of the young boys do, when they have growth spurts and start growing into their body. That can affect you and sometimes you can lose a little bit of confidence. That’s something Anthony never lost.
“He always had belief in his own ability. We always felt, once he matured physically, we would have a player on our hands. He’s done that now.”
Plenty of potential
Gordon’s two-goal performance for the England Under-21s will only increase the hype around him and will boost his potential.
It is still early days in his career, but right now he is in an environment at Everton, under a manager who has faith in him, that is allowing him to flourish.
Benitez is handling the youngster well, giving him plenty of opportunities but making sure not to overwork him; using him alongside more experienced wingers such as Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray.
After finding the net on international duty, the next step for Gordon will be to add more attacking contributions to his game at club level – he is yet to register a goal or assist this season.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have ruled out a move for this high-profile transfer target.
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