England winger Anthony Gordon kept his promise to a young Newcastle fan after scoring his first international goal against Ireland. The 23-year-old found the net with a volley as the Three Lions hit five to secure Nations League promotion at Wembley.
Gordon celebrated his strike by performing an improvised cartwheel before blowing a kiss to the camera. After the game, it was revealed that his celebration was aimed towards a young Newcastle supporter battling a rare immune disorder.
Ivy, a young girl who suffers from hyper-IgE syndrome, met Gordon last month and showed off her ‘favourite celebration’ by doing a cartwheel. The former Everton winger vowed to replicate it after scoring his next goal and kept his promise against Ireland.
He told England’s media team: “I’ve been thinking about doing it for a long time. It’s for a little girl, a great cause, a little girl called Ivy that I got the pleasure to spend time with.
“She’s got hyper-IgE syndrome, it’s such a pleasure to be around her and I promised her I’d do that celebration for her and I’m a man of my word.”
Gordon has emerged as a regular for England in recent weeks despite being restricted to limited minutes under Gareth Southgate. He played in five of the six Nations League games and will be hoping to keep his place in the side when Thomas Tuchel arrives.
Reflecting on his first goal for the Three Lions against Ireland, Gordon joked: “It is better late than never, but it is about time!
“I’ve had some great chances but not been able to put them away. It was a good feeling to see it hit the net. I got to celebrate it with some of the lads I have come through the England set-up with. That made it a bit more special.”
Gordon also sang the praises of Lee Carsley, who oversaw five wins and one defeat after stepping up to manage England on a temporary basis following Southgate’s resignation.
“I think Lee Carsley deserves a lot of credit,” said Gordon. “He fills us with so much confidence. I finally have a goal now, so hopefully there will be plenty to come.”