In an exclusive interview with ITV, Gordon discussed external perceptions of him following his move to Barcelona, his growing confidence in the England national team, and his disappointment over the World Cup semi-final defeat. This is the second part of the interview.

Other parts of the interview:

Gordon: Top players have similar talent; only the most determined and motivated succeed long-term.

Gordon: I feel I've found my way with England and I'm more confident than ever.

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

Yes, it is. But honestly, I do it in phases. Sometimes I write goals for the next few months, sometimes for the next year, depending on my mental state at that moment. That's also what I mean: mentally, there's no fixed formula for success. Before some matches, I feel very calm and need to find ways to motivate myself. Sometimes I go into a game thinking: "I know I'll play well today, I can feel it."

And when you feel demotivated, you have to do something. Sometimes you even need to find a trigger, like a physical challenge with a defender, to get yourself fired up. There's no single path to success.

Did you ever imagine joining Barcelona?

Yes, perhaps my dreams were a bit unrealistic back then. I thought about reaching this point when I was very young, and it's incredible to think about it now. I still talk about it with my family: why was I so confident as a child? It doesn't seem to make sense, but that belief has always been there. I can't explain to others why.

When I was at school, I would tell my teachers directly where I'd go in the future. Looking back now, if a child told me the same thing, I might think: "Mate, don't get ahead of yourself." But for some reason, that conviction has always been in my heart.

If you had to use one word to describe your transfer to Barcelona, what would it be?

Opportunity—definitely opportunity. I'm still very far from the level I can reach. I think people see a decent version of me now, but it's still nowhere near the level I want to achieve and I'm capable of. Joining a team like Barcelona and playing alongside those players will help me reach that level.

After completing this transfer and having this season with the England national team, how high do you think you can go now?

You know me, I don't like setting limits. I believe everyone can achieve what they want, so I also believe I can become the player I want to be. I need to be consistent, I need to be completely prepared, which I'm doing; and I also need some things to go my way.

Because before me, some people have achieved great things with less exceptional talent, and some with more talent have achieved less. So I understand that no one can completely predict the future. Everyone is on their own path, and I hope everything 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've always felt that in England, people appreciated me only for my pace and pressing, but they never really recognized my technical ability and football intelligence. It seemed only my teammates who played alongside me noticed those things. Now that I'm at Barcelona, I play a different style and those abilities are more evident. People are also starting to notice that I'm not just a quick player.

So are people in England now appreciating the composure and decision-making you show when you play? Or will that take more time?

I think they've started to notice it, but more people could see it. As I said, now they see me play for Barcelona, playing a different style of football, and my abilities might stand out more because of that. When I played for Newcastle United, the team played with great intensity and focused heavily on running. So my running ability and work ethic were always the most visible. Now, I play a completely different type of football.

Sometimes you have to leave a place to be appreciated.

Yes. To be honest, that's what I wanted in a way. I wanted to leave the Premier League and have different experiences. I knew I had more to offer than people thought, and I wanted to show it on the world's biggest stage. So playing abroad was very important to me.

Kane is now one of the contenders for the Ballon d'Or, and he's gone through a similar transition.

Exactly, he's a perfect example. Actually, I've discussed this a lot with him. His achievements playing in England were incredible. But as an English player in the Premier League, I felt that everyone, including myself, didn't appreciate him as much as he deserved at that time.

After he left, suddenly he wasn't playing every week, so more attention was paid to what he was doing. Now he's getting the recognition he deserves, because he's truly an exceptional, exceptional player.

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

Become European champions. If that's not our aim, then we're not aiming high enough. As you said, with the players we have, this team 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've always been ambitious and optimistic. I hope one of these goals is achieved soon.

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

It's hard to say, because it depends on what you value most, what type of player you prefer. If you value goal-scoring ability, then Kane's performance throughout the season has been historic. I can understand why some people would vote for him.

But then there's also Yamal, who, in my opinion, is the best player in the world. I know people have talked a lot about this and there's been debate. However, in the end the best player will win the award. The Ballon d'Or is a very significant prize, and I think the selection process will be carefully considered. Good luck to all of them.

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

I'd choose "turning point." Because before the World Cup, I felt I hadn't played consistently well for England. To be honest, I had a slow start at the World Cup and didn't play the way I wanted. By the end of that season, I wasn't playing club matches, so it was difficult to find my rhythm immediately, especially at a stage like the World Cup. However, as the tournament progressed, I gradually found my form. Fortunately, I then played at the highest level. I feel it was a turning point because now, when I wear the England shirt, I'm much more confident.

Tradotto dall'IA.

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