English star reacts to Rooney's criticism

Newcastle United winger Anthony Gordon has responded to controversial remarks from English football legend Wayne Rooney following the match against FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old star believes the comments directed at him are "completely meaningless" and do not reflect the truth.

In the home leg match, Gordon was not selected to start when Newcastle hosted Barcelona. The English team seemed to have secured a crucial victory when Harvey Barnes scored the opening goal. However, in the final minutes of the match, Barcelona received a penalty and Lamine Yamal successfully converted it to equalize.

In this match, Gordon only entered the field in the 67th minute, replacing Anthony Elanga. The reason is believed to be that the English player was not in optimal physical condition before the match. However, Gordon's absence from the starting lineup sparked much debate among experts.

On television, two renowned former English football stars, Alan Shearer and Rooney, expressed confusion over this decision. Shearer stated that if it were him, he would not miss such an important match, especially when facing Barcelona and with Champions League quarter-final qualification at stake.

Meanwhile, Rooney made a controversial assertion by suggesting Gordon had contradictory behavior. According to the former Manchester United striker, Gordon refused to shake hands with commentators to avoid illness, but later entered the dressing room with teammates.

These comments quickly sparked diverse opinions. Under public pressure, coach Eddie Howe defended his player. The Newcastle manager confirmed Gordon fully wanted to play, but the decision not to start him was made after consulting the club's medical team.

Not long after, Gordon proved his worth. In the Premier League match against Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge, the player born in 2001 returned to the starting lineup and scored the only goal, helping Newcastle secure a 1-0 victory. This goal not only earned crucial points but also helped "The Magpies" improve their position on the league table.

After the match, Gordon directly countered the earlier remarks. He revealed he had been bedridden for three days due to illness and even missed training on the day of the Barcelona match.

“I heard about what was said on television and it truly is nonsense. Normally I don't like to explain, but this time it needs clarification. I never refused to play the biggest match of my career,” Gordon shared in an interview with BBC.

The Newcastle star also completely refuted Rooney's accusation. He confirmed he changed alone in a private room and never entered the common dressing room as described on television.