Perekrutan ini memicu beragam tanggapan dari sejumlah figur sepak bola mengenai dampak performa serta urgensi posisinya dalam skema taktik pelatih Hansi Flick.
Mantan pelatih Gordon di Everton, Antonio Gomez, memberikan pandangan positif terkait kepindahan ini.
"For me, Gordon is going to make the difference, like Raphinha has done," ujar Antonio Gomez, Mantan Coach Everton.
Mantan arsitek taktik Gordon tersebut menjelaskan lebih lanjut mengenai kepribadian sang pemain yang dinilai sangat kompetitif namun tetap memiliki kerendahan hati yang luar biasa.
>>> KPK Ungkap Tarif Ilegal Percepatan Izin Tinggal Kasus Silmy Karim
Pihak kepelatihan sering berdiskusi langsung untuk memperbaiki kekurangan taktis sang pemain di lapangan.
"We sat down to talk a lot with him, to show him videos, to correct things that had not gone well, situations with the team tactically that had to be improved… he accepted it an also asked for it.
There are other players who know they have those tools and they don’t ask for them, but Anthony asked for them," kata Antonio Gomez, Mantan Coach Everton.
Gomez juga menceritakan bagaimana Gordon tetap menjaga hubungan baik dan menunjukkan rasa hormat kepada orang-orang yang pernah bekerja sama dengannya di masa lalu.
Sang pemain bahkan mengirimkan jersei setelah resmi berseragam Newcastle United.
"Footballers often forget the people we have had around us, but he has that memory. He was a very humble guy.
He was in a Mercedes, but on the pitch he was a competitive, constant beast who gave it his all.
He is super grateful to us. In fact, when he signed for Newcastle he sent me shirts," ucap Antonio Gomez, Mantan Coach Everton.
