In an exclusive interview with ITV, Gordon discusses external perceptions of him following his move to Barcelona, his growing confidence with the England national team, and his regret over the World Cup semifinal defeat. This is the second part of the interview.

Other parts of the interview:

Gordon: Top players have similar talent; only those with the greatest drive and motivation can succeed long-term.

Gordon: I feel I've found my footing in England and I'm more confident than ever before.

Exactly. If you become the best version of yourself, your team will improve too. I hear you have a habit of writing down your goals, including life and career goals. Is that true?

That's true. But honestly, I do it gradually. Sometimes I write down goals for the next few months, sometimes for the next year, depending on my mental state at that time. What I want to convey is: mentally, there's no fixed method for success. Before some matches, I feel very calm and need to find ways to motivate myself. Sometimes I walk onto the pitch and think: "I know I'm going to play well today, I can feel it."

And at times when you can't find motivation, you need to do something. Sometimes you even have to find reasons, like pushing a defender, to get yourself fired up. There's no single path to success.

Had you ever imagined joining Barcelona before?

Yes, perhaps my thinking back then was a bit unrealistic. I've been thinking about reaching this level since I was very young, and it feels incredible now. I still talk about it with my family: why was I so confident when I was young? It made absolutely no sense, but that confidence was always there. I can't even explain why to others.

When I was at school, I would tell my teachers directly what I would achieve in the future. Looking back now, if a young person told me the same thing, I might think: "Young man, don't talk so big." But I don't know why—that belief was always in my heart.

If you had to describe this transfer to Barcelona in one word, what would it be?

Opportunity, clearly opportunity. I'm still far from the level I can reach. I think people see good performances from me now, but that's still far from the level I want and am capable of reaching. Joining a team like Barcelona and playing with players like that can help me move toward that level.

After completing this club transfer and going through this season with the England national team, how high do you think you can reach now?

You know me, I don't like limiting myself. I believe everyone can achieve what they want to achieve, so I also believe I can become the player I want to be. I need to maintain stability, I need to be fully prepared, which I always do; at the same time, certain things need to go my way.

Because before me, some people have achieved great things with less prominent talent, and some with better talent have achieved less. So I understand that nothing can completely predict the future. Everyone is on their own path, and I hope everything ultimately works out as I expect.

Has joining Barcelona already improved you?

Yes, one hundred percent. Because I feel that, in many people's eyes, I've become a different type of player. I always felt that in England, people appreciated me because I'm quick and apply pressure, but they never really recognized my technical ability and football intelligence. It seemed only my teammates noticed those things. Now that I'm at Barcelona, I play in a different style, and these abilities stand out more. People are starting to realize I'm not just quick.

So are people in England now appreciating your decision-making in play more? Or will that take more time?

I think they're starting to realize it, but more people can see it now. As I said, they now see me play at Barcelona and see a different style of football, which perhaps better showcases my abilities. When I played for Newcastle United, the team's intensity was very high, and we were very focused on running. So my running and work rate were always the most visible. Now, I'm playing a completely different style of football.

Sometimes you have to leave your home to get recognition.

Yes. Honestly, that's what I wanted in some ways. I wanted to leave the Premier League and have a different experience. I know I have more ability than people realize, and I want to show it on the biggest stage. So playing abroad was very important to me.

Kane is now one of the Ballon d'Or contenders, and he experienced a similar change.

Exactly, he's the prime example. In fact, I've talked to him a lot about this. The achievements he made playing in England are absolutely remarkable. But as an English player playing in the Premier League, I felt that everyone, including myself, didn't give him the appreciation he deserved at the time.

Once he left, you suddenly don't see him play every week anymore, so you pay more attention to what he does. Now he's getting the recognition he truly deserves because he really is a very, very great player.

Bellingham at Real Madrid, you at Barcelona, Kane at Bayern Munich. In two years, what do you think this England squad will achieve?

Become European champions. If that's not our goal, then it's not good enough. As you said, with the players we have, this squad, and our manager, we can achieve anything. There's no gap between us and the best teams in the world, and I can't wait to prove it. You know, I'm always ambitious and always optimistic. I hope one of these goals will be achieved soon.

Do you think Kane will win the Ballon d'Or?

It's difficult to say because it depends on what you value more and what type of player you prefer. If you value goal-scoring ability, then Kane's performance this season has been historic. I can understand why some people would choose him.

But then there's Lamine Yamal, who, in my opinion, is the best player in the world. I know there's been a lot of talk and debate about this topic. However, ultimately the best player will win the award. The Ballon d'Or is a very prestigious award, and I think the selection process will be carefully considered. I hope they all succeed.

If you had to describe your World Cup journey in one word, what would it be?

I would choose "breakthrough." Because before the World Cup, I hadn't been performing consistently well for England. Honestly, I started the World Cup slowly and didn't play the way I wanted. At the end of that period, I wasn't playing for my club, so it was difficult to immediately get into the rhythm of play, especially on a stage like the World Cup. However, as the tournament progressed, I gradually found my best form. Fortunately, I then performed at the highest level. I feel it was a breakthrough because now when I put on the England shirt, I'm far more confident.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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