Gordon urges England to embrace own style instead of copying Spain

England winger Anthony Gordon has urged the national team to focus on their own strengths rather than attempting to replicate Spain’s possession-based style. 

Gordon said England could win major tournaments by embracing their identity instead of trying to control matches in the same manner as the world champions.

Gordon, who joined Barcelona from Newcastle for £69.3m in the summer, was speaking ahead of England’s meeting with Spain on Saturday. 

He said his experience in La Liga had shown him that Spanish football is built around qualities different from those of English players.

The 25-year-old said England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina could motivate the team. 

England led through Gordon before Argentina recovered to win 2-1, and Gordon said the disappointment had left a “scar” that could help the squad approach future tournaments differently. 

He also defended manager Thomas Tuchel’s decision to switch to a more defensive system late in the match.

Gordon said he was surprised to be substituted 17 minutes after giving England the lead but accepted that wingers are regularly taken off during matches. 

He said scoring had put him into a heightened state of confidence and described the moment as one in which he felt “on top of the world”.

The Barcelona winger also admitted England had failed to reproduce the level of football they had shown in training during the final stages against Argentina. 

He argued that the players needed to accept collective responsibility for the defeat rather than placing the blame solely on Tuchel, saying the team could have done more to control the match and take the initiative.

England finished third at the World Cup after beating France 6-4 in the bronze-medal match, their best finish since 1966. 

Gordon, who started five matches and contributed four assists during the tournament, believes England have the players to challenge the leading nations but should do so by developing their own approach rather than attempting to become a version of Spain.