ANTHONY GORDON has helped England play all the right moves so far at the Under-21 Euros.
Yet it is not just on the pitch where he has shown tactical acumen, adapting to his new role as a centre-forward, but off it too as the squad’s chess master.
Gordon only learned the ancient game earlier this year when he first moved to Newcastle from Everton in a £45million deal.
And he has been spending what little downtime he has out in Georgia during the tournament taking to the board, claiming to have bested all his team-mates.
But Gordon is still to outmanoeuvre team doctor Matt Perry, formerly of Wolves and who was credited with helping save Raul Jimenez’s life after the Mexican sustained a skull fracture on the pitch three years ago.
Magpies star Gordon, 22, explained: “You’re usually in a hotel when you first join a club for about a month.
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“I was so bored when I wasn’t training. I started learning chess, I got quite good within a week or two, but the doc is on a different level. I can beat all the players but not the doc!
“I really like hobbies in general. I need to be good at everything.
“If I ever need to prove anything, I like to be good. I’m one of those people.
“I like learning new things so when I was bored I just thought I’d learn. It’s a really intelligent game so I thought I’d test myself.”
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England have been too smart for both their opponents so far, beating Israel in Kutaisi on Sunday after seeing off their Czech mates three days prior.
They can now relax for the group’s final game against Germany in Batumi on Wednesday knowing they are already guaranteed to finish top.
It gives boss Lee Carsley the chance to rest some of his key players so the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke and Emile Smith Rowe could take a break.
Gordon may also start on the bench too after starting both games so far and excelling in his unfamiliar position.
He had a goal ruled out for offside against the Czechs but did get the opener against Israel with an Alan Shearer-esque thumping header.
On playing through the middle, Gordon added: “It’s very different. Obviously I haven’t played there many times so it doesn’t come naturally.
“I’m seeing a lot of the game in front of me, which is helping me a bit. I’m playing off Morgs, which is quite easy because he moves a lot.
“I’m getting a better understanding of football playing in different positions, a No 8 and on the wings for Newcastle and now as a No 9.
“To be honest I feel like it may be my best position because I think I’m better running off people. You can see when Morgs gets the ball and I’m spinning, I can use my pace a bit more. You can get a bit isolated on the wing, drifting in and out of games.
“I’m not very good, or known, for heading the ball but I’ll take any goal!”
While Gordon has been playing with his knights, rooks and bishops, there have been plenty of other fun and games to be had when training is done for the rest of the squad.
The team hotel 45 minutes outside of the coastal town of Batumi has a golf simulator, which has become a favourite of Manchester City pair Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Tommy Doyle.
But there is also the card game Uno, the beanbag-throwing game Cornhole and Connect Four, as well as quiz and movie nights.
Arsenal starlet Smith Rowe added: “I’ve been playing table-tennis, that’s my game. I’m not really good at golf, I can’t hit the ball. Chess is not for me either.
“I play table-tennis with Noni, he’s really good, Max Aarons. There’s a few of us. We’ve got such a good team, you can chill with anyone, it doesn’t really matter.”
Gordon added: “I feel like with England teams in the past, they’ve had incredible individuals but struggled to come together. That’s not an issue with this group. “
It is all designed to build team spirit which seems to be high given nigh-on every player mentions how good it is unprompted in interviews.
Obviously it helps when you are winning and that is what Gordon wants the team to continue to do against Germany, despite little being on the line for Carsley’s side.
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The bleach-blond forward said: “ It’s about instilling a winning mindset. If we take the next game off then it doesn’t stand us in good stead.
“We have to keep going, win the next one and every one until we win the cup.”
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