Reports suggest real reasons behind Anthony Gordon's lack of playing time at Euro 2024

If you're an England fan and watched the Three Lions limp to the final of Euro 2024 in the summer you will have noticed just how much they needed someone like Anthony Gordon to liven things up.

The Newcastle United ace sat on the bench for all but four minutes of action during the summer despite the cries of fans, pundits, presenters and commentators to get Anthony Gordon on the pitch to add some much-needed urgency on the pitch.

Those cries went unanswered which left England fans and much of the football world baffled by Gareth Southgate's decision.

Now, The Daily Mail have reported what they've been told are the real reasons Gordon was left to ride the bench and it's petty beyond belief.

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Southgate was 'miffed' with Gordon for his bike crash

Anthony Gordon famously had an accident while out with the squad, going head over heels when falling off his bike while using his phone.

We get that it's not his proudest moment, but it's not as if he was out clubbing and got into a fight. Accidents happen. But apparently that was one of the reasons Southgate was upset with Gordon.

The other reason is simply a case of Gareth Southgate cutting his nose off to spite his face.

If Gareth Southgate would have let his ego go then things could have turned out differently

Southgate took umbrage with Gordon suggesting that he could make the difference for England as they'd become predictable. Again, probably not the best thing to say out loud as a player, but was he wrong?

Everyone could see how much Gordon could have opened things up for England. We aren't saying he'd have won it for us over Spain, but he'd have given us a damn good chance.

Gordon has been quite damning about England under Southgate in the interview's before and after Saturday's game against Ireland, but Lee Carsley clearly didn't seem to mind putting the Newcastle winger in from the start and giving him 77 minutes to shine.