Anthony Gordon has become such a massive figure on Tyneside since his arrival at Newcastle United.
The former Evertonian's exploits on and off the pitch have transformed the way Newcastle fans look at him - it certainly has for me who had a negative opinion of him based on absolutely nothing for the longest time.
Since his arrival at Newcastle, though, and watching him in interviews and learning more about the man himself, it's easy to forgive those hot-headed outbursts that could paint him in a negative light, especially now that Eddie Howe has managed to coach that out of him.
Gordon has since proven to have a heart of gold and is very keen to give back - jumping in his car to go visit a sick boy in hospital in Manchester when he heard about him is a move that will never be forgotten.
Recently, as part of a video put out by the club, Anthony Gordon met a young girl named Ivy who has hyper IGE syndrome, and as part of their time together, Ivy gave Gordon a new goal celebration which he promised to do next time he scored.
We dare bet that neither he nor Ivy expected that celebration to be given its debut at Wembley after Gordon scored for England, but that's what happened, and the Bubble Foundation, who care for Ivy has posted her reaction to seeing the celebration on YouTube if you fancy some Friday Feels.
This morning Eddie Howe met the media ahead of Monday's clash with West Ham and the Newcastle boss mentioned Gordon's celebration.
Eddie Howe told the media (via The Chronicle) how it would have been so easy for Gordon to be caught up in the moment and forget his promise.
"Anthony could have been very self-motivated in that moment. Scoring your first goal for your country is something I can only imagine - the feelings and emotions going through you. To think of someone else and pay tribute is a great moment."
It's just another mark of the man. He can be a little bit ill-tempered on the pitch, although that's not the case as much these days, but off it, that blonde mullet is a halo.
PL | GD | PTS | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
Liverpool
|
12 | 16 | 31 |
2 |
Manchester City
|
12 | 5 | 23 |
3 |
Chelsea
|
12 | 9 | 22 |
4 |
Arsenal
|
12 | 9 | 22 |
5 |
Brighton
|
12 | 5 | 22 |
6 |
Tottenham Hotspur
|
12 | 14 | 19 |
7 |
Nottingham Forest
|
12 | 2 | 19 |
8 |
Aston Villa
|
12 | 0 | 19 |
9 |
Newcastle United
|
11 | 2 | 18 |
10 |
Fulham
|
12 | 0 | 18 |
11 |
Brentford
|
12 | 0 | 17 |
12 |
Manchester United
|
12 | 0 | 16 |
13 |
Bournemouth
|
12 | -1 | 15 |
14 |
West Ham United
|
11 | -6 | 12 |
15 |
Everton
|
12 | -7 | 11 |
16 |
Leicester
|
12 | -8 | 10 |
17 |
Wolves
|
12 | -8 | 9 |
18 |
Ipswich
|
12 | -10 | 9 |
19 |
Crystal Palace
|
12 | -7 | 8 |
20 |
Southampton
|
12 | -15 | 4 |