The Everton prodigy was told of his impending senior debut for the Toffees two years ago by Goodison Park coach Duncan Ferguson.
Everton will play their first game of the post-Marco Silva era at Goodison Park tomorrow, Saturday 7 December 2019 – exactly two years to the day since Anthony Gordon made his senior debut for the Toffees.
The 18-year-old, widely regarded as one of the Goodison Park academy’s best prospects, has been sensational for David Unsworth’s Everton U23s side over the past few seasons, and calls for the senior management to select him had been growing louder by the week.
Aside from some training sessions with the first team and being named on the bench a couple of times, however, Gordon has had little else to go by since he came on for the last few minutes of the Europa League win away at Apollon Limassol on 7 December 2017 (Transfermarkt).
Coincidentally, after being named in the squad by Unsworth, Gordon was then told that he would be coming on against the Cypriot side by Everton coach Duncan Ferguson – who is in interim charge of the Toffees for Saturday’s Goodison Park clash against Chelsea.
“I couldn’t believe it when Unsy told me and I rang my mum straightaway,” Gordon told the Everton website a few weeks ago when recalling being picked for the EL game two years ago. “I enjoyed every minute of it but after Duncan called me back [from warming up] everything went so quickly.”
With Everton now in a relegation battle, Ferguson could perhaps be forgiven for not wanting to give Gordon a baptism of fire, but on the other hand, he could well think that the prodigious teenager, with his talent, skills, drive and attitude, may just be what the Toffees need to get out of their current slumber.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
