‘I was surprised’…Dan Burn says he couldn’t believe what he recently read about Anthony Gordon

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Dan Burn has shared the statistic concerning Anthony Gordon which did briefly surprise him as he lauded his Newcastle United teammate for the way he has stepped up this season.

Burn was speaking on The Monday Night Club as he noted how the under-21 European Championships in the summer seemed to be a game-changer for the 22-year-old.

Anthony Gordon has certainly proved a lot of people wrong with his performances this season. Eddie Howe was patient with the youngster in the months following his big-money move from Everton in January.

Dan Burn shares what surprised him about Anthony Gordon

But he has found another gear in the early months of this campaign. Gordon has scored six goals and contributed five assists in the Premier League. And it was his goal which gave the Magpies victory against Manchester United at the weekend.

But it is not only his goals and assists which are seeing Gordon win admirers. As Dan Burn praised the youngster for his turnaround this season, he noted that he works so hard for the team.

“I think that the Euros did wonders for him – he’s a confident lad, don’t get us wrong – but just adding to the fact of all that, and coming back for pre-season, he was on fire. He was so fit when he came back. And probably just grasping what the manager wanted for him. Now, he’s got direction in everything that he does,” he told The Monday Night Club.

“I think I read something the other day, where he had the most tackles for our team, which I was surprised at. But when you watch him play, it’s not that surprising really.”

Newcastle vindicated for January signing

Gordon definitely ranks extremely highly for most tackles attempted amongst the Newcastle squad. Following their win over Manchester United, only Bruno Guimaraes has attempted more this season, according to FBRef.

Meanwhile, no Newcastle player has won more tackles in the middle of the park than Gordon.

That is a remarkable achievement when you consider what he is also doing in front of goal. And it shows exactly why Newcastle decided to spend £45 million to sign him in January.

Howe clearly saw a player who could be ruthless in the final third, but would also have the ability to fight for the team.

Funnily enough, Newcastle’s next game will see Gordon return to Goodison Park to face Everton. He can probably expect a hostile reception back on Merseyside.

But many will be expecting Gordon to be the difference-maker given the form he is currently in.