ANTHONY GORDON slammed Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer over “nonsense” claims about his substitute appearance in the Champions League.
The Newcastle winger shone in his side’s 1-0 Premier League win over Chelsea on Saturday, but it became clear after the game that he was still holding some resentment for comments made about him earlier in the week.
The controversy stemmed from the Magpies’ mid-week Champions League last 16 clash with Barcelona.
The England international did not make his expected start for his side after being ill in the days prior, but was still well enough to make an impact off the bench.
But this arrangement did not go down well with club legend Shearer, who questioned how he could be fit to play only a part of the game on such a big night, and seemed to imply that he had not done enough to get himself on the pitch.
Shearer said: “Maybe I’m old school but if you’re fit enough to train in the morning, and I know he doesn’t feel well, but this is Barcelona at Newcastle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
“It would take something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game tonight.”
Roy Keane later echoed Shearer’s statements, saying on The Overlap after the match: “How can you be ill and come on for half an hour? It’s bizarre, isn’t it?”
But Gordon was having none of the harsh criticism, and rebuked the comments after his decisive goal against the Blues.
He said: “What the media guy told me was being said was complete and utter stupidity.
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“I was in bed for three days, missed training, and turned up on the day of the game ready to start – I thought I was starting.
“When I got to the stadium, the manager told me I wasn’t playing, which you can imagine I didn’t like very much, but that’s his decision and the team played great.
“Saying I didn’t want to play in the biggest game of my career is absolute nonsense.”
Manchester United legend Rooney also questioned Gordon’s illness, and appeared to suggest that the attacker was picking and choosing when to follow measures designed to keep the rest of the team healthy.
He added: “He walked past us before the game and wouldn’t shake our hands.
He said he didn’t want us to catch anything, but then he’s going into the dressing room with his teammates.”
Gordon didn’t mince his words as he shot down the accusations as untrue.
He specifically called the former England striker out as he claimed that he had in fact prepared for the game in isolation, before suggesting pundits need to “do better.”
Gordon replied: “Seeing, I think it was (Wayne) Rooney, saying I walked past and didn’t shake their hands but then went in the changing room – I didn’t.
“I got changed by myself in a changing about the size of this (interview booth), it was just me and a sink.
“Complete nonsense, I think they need to do better.”
Gordon will hopefully be fully fit to see out the second leg of the tie with Barcelona on Wednesday, with the score currently finely poised at 1-1.
