Waddle backs Gordon to make a big impact

ANTHONY Gordon's form in preseason could be crucial for Newcastle United after a tumultuous summer.

- By ROSS GREGORY

Gordon has returned from his summer break fit and firing. The attacker admits he is hungry again after a year of speculation which saw him linked with a move to Liverpool.

Gordon operated as the central striker against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday in the final friendly of Newcastle’s preseason tour to the Far East.

With Alexander Isak having missed the tour and William Osula having failed to make the most of his big chances by firing blanks against Celtic, Arsenal and K-League, Eddie Howe has been weighing up his options ahead of the Premier League opener.

Gordon will be key to that. With Harvey Barnes as an option for the left wing berth - he showed his goal threat with a strike against Spurs - it could mean Gordon plays through the middle in the first Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa if Isak isn’t brought back into the fold and anew striker hasn’t been bought.

Regardless of whether the 24-year-old plays on the wing or through the middle, former Newcastle and England star Chris Waddle believes it’s a big season for Gordon.