Anthony Gordon has opened up on his journey through the Everton academy system, revealing the period in which he felt he learned the most as a player.
The winger has enjoyed a real breakout season among the first-team squad this term, becoming one of the Blues' most important players despite a difficult run of form recently. That has put the cherry on the cake of what has been an impressive rise through the ranks behind the scenes at Finch Farm, with the 21-year-old proving himself to be an exciting prospect at every youth level on his way to the first team.
Now Gordon is sitting on 24 Premier League appearances for the season, bagging three goals and two assists in that time. But before making a name for himself in the senior side, he learned some important lessons which helped his development as a player.
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Gordon was part of the side that were successful in the 2019 Premier League 2 season, but didn't start many of the matches. Looking back, he believes that title-winning campaign was crucial in his journey. And, Gordon also highlights the importance of a wide range of Everton coaches in helping him to that level.
He remarked: "I remember that year very well, it was my first year with the under-23s. I didn't play much, I was sort of coming off the bench, going through that transition of being one of the best in the under-18s to not playing is hard.
"We did the double and it was boss to be a part of, I just didn't play much. Actually, it was probably one of the experiences I learned the most from. I learned a lot from it.
"I went from probably being the best in the under-18s to not playing. It was a bit of a reality check, but a good experience though! Getting used to winning early.
"As well as developing on the pitch, I think we also got a lot of support off the pitch from the coaches and stuff. I can only talk about my experience but I had a lot of different coaches who gave me a lot of different personalities for me to get used to.
"I think that helped me mature much quicker. I had some very nice coaches, some ones that give me a hard time, but they all made me a better person and a better player."
