‘Wild card’: Sam Allardyce thinks Gareth Southgate should be taking 21-year-old Everton youngster to the World Cup

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Although there are still a few weeks of domestic football left for Everton fans to enjoy, attention is starting to turn to next month’s World Cup.

On the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast with Sam Allardyce, the hosts were discussing Gareth Southgate’s potential squad.

Allardyce said Everton winger Anthony Gordon should go to the World Cup as a ‘wild card’.

The 21-year-old had a turbulent summer, with his future at Goodison Park in doubt.

In the end, Frank Lampard managed to convince him to stay on Merseyside, and he’s benefitted from staying put.

Gordon already has scored three goals in the league this season, and has only missed one match through suspension.

Everton haven’t been the most exciting team going forward, but seemed to be hitting their stride after a shaky start.

Gordon has been given the license to attack down the left-wing in recent weeks, after having to play as a centre-forward in the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Allardyce has now said that he thinks Gordon should go to the World Cup after becoming a ‘big player’ for Everton.

Gordon should go to the World Cup – Allardyce

Speaking on his podcast, Allardyce said: “I’ve got a wild card. I’ve got Anthony Gordon at Everton, as a wild card.

“I’ve just watched his progress and he seems to be such a big player for Everton at the minute.

“Even last season he was the one lad who stood out a bit and accepted the ball and ran out defenders and created.

“I’ve not worked with him but I’ve seen him and watched him perform like that in a struggling team, it’s not easy to perform like that in a struggling side.”

Although Gordon is quite a slight player, he’s certainly not afraid of a big challenge and relished a physical battle.

Sources have suggested he’s very happy at Everton right now, and he’s the sort of player Lampard could build his team around.

A report from iNews states that contract talks are ‘progressing well’ with Gordon, which will be music to Everton fans’ ears.

He’s yet to record an assist this season, and if he were to be called-up, he would need to improve that side of his game.

Southgate is also likely to go with a formation that utilises wing-backs, a role that Gordon has never played.

He could potentially play as one of two more narrow attackers behind Kane, but isn’t perfectly suited to this either.

However, Allardyce believes Gordon should go to the World Cup as a different option to what England already have.

It would be a bold call to give the youngster his international debut on the biggest stage.