Neil Moxley blasts ‘distasteful’ Everton attacker Anthony Gordon as transfer news emerges
Journalist Neil Moxley has blasted exit-bound Everton forward Anthony Gordon for his lack of loyalty to the Toffees and branded him “distasteful” for trying to force a move away.
The 21-year-old looks set to complete his £45million deal to Newcastle United, with Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting [29 January] that Gordon can now be considered a Magpies player after all the documents for his transfer were signed.
The forward tried to force through a move away from Goodison by missing three days [BBC Sport, 26 January] of training at Finch Farm and Moxley had his say on Gordon’s actions leading up to the transfer.
Writing in his “Who’s Hot, Who’s Not” column for the Sunday People [29 January, pg 55], he said: “There’s something distasteful about a player coming through the academy at a club like Everton and effectively forcing a move away from the club. Happens a lot, but still rankles.”
Distasteful indeed
Gordon’s actions are distasteful indeed and it says much about who he is as a footballer.
A boy growing up within the club and granted his opportunity after coming through the youth ranks, you’d expect them to show some loyalty after all the club has done for him to get to the position he’s in.
And Moxley is correct in that it happens a lot these days. When an opportunity for a bigger move and bigger contract is in the offing for a young player, they are more than likely to jump ship and that is evident in Gordon’s case.
And it’s made all the more damaging and hurtful for the Toffees faithful because of the dreadful position they find themselves in the league table.
It may have been more reasonable and more loyal for Gordon to wait it out a few more months by helping the club stay in the Premier League and then move on to pursue bigger dreams in the summer. Certainly, Newcastle United present a stunning opportunity considering the rise under Eddie Howe, but Gordon simply has not gone about it the wrong way.
It’s going to be an incredibly tough Goodison Park return for him when the two sides meet again in the Premier League at the end of April.
Imagine if he bags the winner to send the Toffees into relegation. Chaos.