Gordon: Mindset matters more than talent, social media is making everything worse. The English forward, the most expensive signing of the summer, discusses his psychological transformation that began during his loan spell at Preston, his disdain for social media, and his view of football as an intellectual battle.

Liverpool, an industrial grey city, wet and weathered, has its own distinct character, where the streets can sometimes turn rough.

"It's a harsh city, so you have to know how to fight. That's just how it was," says Gordon, the summer's most expensive signing at 80 million euros. Gordon knows exactly what he's talking about: before finding fame, he was involved in several street fights.

That's Liverpool for you. Football, boxing, and music matter most there, and of course, The Beatles. Gordon only remembers "Yellow Submarine," but then he switched from the boxing ring to the football pitch, moving from his beloved Liverpool to Everton.

At age 11, Liverpool rejected him, and he later developed at Everton's academy before truly standing out after joining Newcastle United. Currently, he's learning Spanish and Catalan.

"I knew a bit about Catalan history beforehand, but coming here, I want to learn more," he says.

However, during the interview, he preferred to speak English.

"I can understand and speak it, but I'm a bit shy."

Q: But you don't seem shy on the pitch.

A: That's true, I'm not. People's impression of me is always very different from who I really am. They always confuse me as a person with me as a player. Once I step onto the pitch, I become a different person.

But I have to be the best version of myself. I'm very tough and aggressive, and I want to win. Off the pitch, I'm calm and quiet.

Q: Does this on-pitch personality make you stand out?

A: Absolutely. At this level, apart from players like Lamine Yamal and Pedri, the talent of other players is fairly similar. Basically, everyone is at the same level; what really makes the difference is mindset.

I've faced some very talented players, but they never reach their potential because their minds aren't sharp enough. For me, a strong mindset matters far more than talent. Talent is too unreliable.

Q: When did you realize this?

A: Around age 19. At that point, I was talented, but my mindset wasn't strong or stable enough. Everton loaned me to Preston and I barely played.

After that loan spell, I told myself: "I can never drop down to this level again. I need to play in the Premier League, not go back to the Championship."

When the next season started, I began reading every day, watching videos...

Q: What kind of books?

A: "Winning" and "Relentless" by Tim Grover. Since then, I've been very focused on developing myself and gradually understanding many things.

Q: Do you read fiction?

A: I only read self-help books. I read to stimulate my mind, to learn life lessons, and to understand things I didn't know before. For fiction, I prefer watching films.

Q: Have you really thought about starting a book club in the dressing room?

A: I'd love to, but I haven't tried. The lads are too young; they wouldn't do it anyway.

I know not many footballers enjoy reading. But I feel like an old soul, you know? I feel like I belong to the past.

Q: Explain that further.

A: I belong to a different era. I think my personality is more like someone from the 1990s. Nowadays, everyone is obsessed with social media, everything has become very materialistic, and romance barely exists.

I'm not like that; I prefer the past.

Q: That doesn't necessarily have to be tied to a specific era. I know plenty of people born in the 1990s or even the 1980s who are obsessed with Instagram "likes."

A: Since social media emerged, around 2010, I feel the world has become worse. People started focusing on things that don't matter at all.

The only truly important things are family and the people around you.

Q: So you never spend an afternoon lying on the sofa scrolling through your phone?

A: I can, and I do it more than I should, but I don't enjoy it. Every time I scroll, I feel guilty and even sadder.

Q: How has social media changed footballers' lives?

A: Today's players care too much about what others think. A player who scores or assists gets praised wildly, even if his overall performance was poor.

I'd rather play well without scoring. To me, that's real football. I'd rather make the right decisions for the team than play badly and score.

Q: So you prioritize making the right decisions over scoring?

A: That's how I play. Because I'm actively pressing, people easily notice that. But I think once they watch me more closely, they'll see my actual level might surprise many people.

That happened at Newcastle United. Eddie Howe signed me from Everton to run and press. But when I arrived, people thought, "Oh, you're actually a pretty good player."

I feel my football intelligence as a player is my most underrated quality. And that's why I'm a good fit for Barcelona.

In this team, if you're not intelligent enough, you'll be exposed. You always have to make the right decisions, otherwise you'll look bad.

Q: What does "intelligent" mean?

A: Intelligent means making more right decisions than wrong ones.

Maybe I should shoot more or make fewer sideways passes, but that's not my nature. Making the right decisions makes me feel good.

Q: What did Flick say when he called you?

A: He said he wanted me to join, and he thinks I fit his tactics and what he values.

When you talk to him, you see he has a great personality; he's a good man. He's very direct, and I like that. I appreciate honesty, even when it sounds quite blunt.

Plus, they already have the best squad, so I wanted to be part of it.

Q: People usually talk about Mbappé or Yamal, but do you think people in Spain forget about Harry Kane?

A: It's the same everywhere. In England, people only focus on the Premier League; in Germany, people only talk about Harry Kane because of Bayern Munich.

The reason Lamine Yamal and Mbappé are always mentioned here is because they're the two best players. It's natural that people focus on what's in front of them.

Q: Did Yamal surprise you?

A: A lot, but not because of his talent—because of his mentality.

I already knew he was excellent and talented, but I didn't expect his attitude to be so good. Usually, a young, talented player like that can be a bit lazy defensively, but his pressing intensity is as high as Raphinha's and mine.

And he never misses a gym session.

Q: What about Rodri?

A: He's the same. Even though I've faced him before and known him for a while, he's still a monster.

Whenever he's on the pitch, if we lose the ball and the opponent attacks, he's always there. In attack, with him, the tempo of the game slows down, which allows the rest of us to have time and space to push forward and attack.

It's the perfect balance.

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