Anthony Gordon believes the pressure of fighting relegation at Everton was greater than the demands of winning trophies at Barcelona, where the England international has got off to a flying start.
The winger joined Barcelona from Newcastle United for €80m in the summer and has scored three goals and provided five assists since his move to Spain. He said he expected his performances to improve further as he adapts to a new country and team.
“I have started quite well considering it’s a new country for me, maybe 7.5 out of 10,” Gordon said on Monday ahead of Barcelona’s Champions League match against Aston Villa.
“It’s a massive change. It’s a new team, although the new country is the biggest part. I have started well, but I can do a lot more.
“It will take some time for me to really settle and grow. When this happens, you will see the very best of me, which you definitely haven’t seen so far.”
Gordon scored in Barcelona’s 6-1 victory over Alaves on Saturday, but said he wanted to become more direct in front of goal as he looks to improve his contribution.
“My demands are always the same, to score, to assist, to be someone who can change a game in any moment and to take responsibility for the game,” he said.
“The best in history do this, so that is what I chase. I think I can do it more, be more selfish sometimes, dribble and shoot more. This is the big focus – definitely to score more goals.”
The 25-year-old has played for Everton, Newcastle and Barcelona, three clubs at three very different points on the footballing spectrum, with vastly different ambitions. He said the chance to compete for major honours at the Spanish club had been the most enjoyable part of his career so far.
“The challenge here at Barça is different to what I had before,” Gordon said. “At Everton, I was fighting relegation, which was tough. Newcastle’s [objective] was [to qualify for the] Champions League or to push up the table.
“Now it’s trophies, so three very different challenges. I have really enjoyed all three. To be competing on every front, for every trophy, is definitely the most enjoyable.
“People think that is more pressure, but it’s better pressure than fighting relegation or trying to climb the table.”
Gordon also clarified comments made during the recent international break in which he said his performances in Spain had earned him greater appreciation in England. He insisted he had not meant that people had previously judged him unfairly.
“I meant they had never seen me in a system that highlights these qualities,” he said. “Like I said before, I have played in three different styles of team; that probably shows the intelligence I am talking about to be able to succeed in all three.
“I wasn’t saying people judge me wrong or have a negative perspective of me, just that they hadn’t seen me in this kind of system before, which I think now is helping them appreciate me a little bit more.”
Barcelona returned to winning ways against Alaves after losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid raised questions about their ability to compete against the strongest teams. Gordon rejected the suggestion that either side was better than his team.
“I don’t think PSG or Madrid are above us,” he said. “We have to take responsibility for both losses. They are the two biggest games this season so far and we lost.
“But they are not above us. We are fantastic and on our day can beat anyone.”
Barcelona face Aston Villa on Tuesday before meeting Atletico Madrid, with Unai Emery’s side having won all three of their Champions League matches so far. Villa are three points ahead of Barcelona in the standings.
“They are a very good team,” Gordon said. “I played against them a couple of times with mixed success.
“They have a great coach [Emery], one of the best in the world right now. They are on a great run as of late. It’s a tough challenge, but I am very excited.”
