“If I didn’t have the ambition to play for England at the World Cup, then I would be a bit stupid” – 21-year-old star insists he is fully focused on making Gareth Southgate’s squad

Everton forward Anthony Gordon has expressed his desire to represent England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, declaring that he would be stupid not to have that ambition.

Rated at £60million, Gordon was one of the most sought-after forwards in the summer transfer window. It is believed that Chelsea tried to sign the 21-year-old on a couple of occasions, only to return empty-handed.

Fabrizio Romano

@FabrizioRomano

Anthony Gordon on Chelsea deal collapsed: “Everton is so good, it’s not a place where I’m devastated because I’ve to stay — never been the case”, tells @standardsport #EFC

“I was never desperate to leave. It was definitely not the case. But… yes, £60m is crazy”. #CFC

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Anthony Gordon on Chelsea deal collapsed: “Everton is so good, it’s not a place where I’m devastated because I’ve to stay — never been the case”, tells @standardsport 🔵 #EFC

“I was never desperate to leave. It was definitely not the case. But… yes, £60m is crazy”. #CFC https://t.co/NLQBgI7ZqS

With about seven weeks left before the 2022 FIFA World Cup commences, Gordon has set sights on booking an unlikely ticket to Qatar. Having missed out on England’s final’s squad before the big event, Gordon acknowledges that it is a long shot. But he is fully determined to try his best and give England coach Gareth Southgate something to think about. The Under-21 forward told The Sun:

“ I’m one hundred per cent focused on making the World Cup squad. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. It’s out of my control — but I’ll definitely give it my best try.

“To get there, I will need to score a lot of goals in the next couple of games. I’m ready for that challenge. I’m hopeful. If I didn’t have the ambition to play for England at the World Cup, then I would be a bit stupid.”

Gordon added:

“But I understand the squad is so good at the minute, that it’s going to be really tough to get in.”

The Everton left-winger has thus far featured in 67 games for the senior team across competitions, recording six goals and eight assists.

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Anthony Gordon does not want to leave England U-21 team behind even if he’s picked for the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Although Gordon is pushing to earn a place in the Three Lions’ senior team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, he is not ready to bid the U-21 side goodbye. Gordon said that he would like to represent the Three Lions in the Under-21 European Championship next summer even if he’s called up by Southgate in November.

ChelsTransfer

@ChelsTransfer

Anthony Gordon on his £60m valuation, amidst Chelsea interest: “That's football nowadays. Personally, I don't think any player is worth that amount of money but I'm also not going to talk myself down” (Sky) #CFC #EFC

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Anthony Gordon on his £60m valuation, amidst Chelsea interest: “That's football nowadays. Personally, I don't think any player is worth that amount of money but I'm also not going to talk myself down” (Sky) #CFC #EFC

Gordon added:

“If I got the opportunity to do both, I’d love that.

“Especially because of the work I’ve done here. I’ve played most of the qualifiers with the Under-21s — so I’d like to see it out now.”

Gordon played six U-21 European Championship qualifiers, scoring four goals and claiming an assist. England, who qualified for the tournament as Group G toppers, picked up 25 points from 10 matches.

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