Hendrick: Anthony Gordon Showed More Than Glimpses at Newcastle £80m Was a Good Deal For All

Speaking exclusively with BOYLE Sports , former Newcastle and Ireland star Jeff Hendrick has given his thoughts on the sale of Anthony Gordon and the state of play at St James' Park .

Hendrick believes Gordon showed far more than glimpses at Newcastle and that the £80m Barcelona paid was a good deal for all parties, while backing Lewis Hall to one day command a £100m fee.

The former midfielder has also assessed David Hopkinson 's bold comments about the club, the future of Nick Pope , where Eddie Howe could end up next, and whether Everton can reach Europe under David Moyes .

Anthony Gordon

Why Is Gordon Flying For Club and Country Now?

I think we did see glimpses of Anthony Gordon 's very best form. Probably more than glimpses at times, especially when he and Alexander Isak had a great relationship, and I think he even came out and said it when Isak was leaving: I've never had a relationship like that on the pitch.

Last year he still scored seventeen goals. It was still a good return, and Newcastle had an up-and-down season last year, so it was difficult for a player like him to stand out week in, week out when the actual team's not doing great. I think then, with just his move and going to Barcelona , they do just have better players than Newcastle . They're going to be right up there for, say, the Champions League .

I think with the way he plays, like his direct running, the way he presses, I've seen interviews he's done; he seems quite intelligent and methodical with the way he goes about getting ready for a game. I think making that step with all those factors just adds to it. Now he's probably doing it week in, week out. So he's just got that consistency now, and he's grown. Getting a move to Barcelona is going to make you confident, and in football, I always say confidence is one of the biggest things, and he's got that. I think that's why we're seeing a bit more, but he definitely showed more than glimpses at Newcastle .

Is He Justifying His Barcelona Fee?

Really, eighty million isn't a lot for what we've seen this summer. I suppose he got signed by Newcastle for fifty million, and then he justified that and went on to become one of their main players. So then, eighty million was the right price. It could have been maybe even a little bit more. If he had gone somewhere in England , it would have been a hundred million. Newcastle have done well.

They got a good fee out of it, and they're building this new project. So I think it worked for all parties.

Newcastle's Ambitions

Can Newcastle Be Among the Top Clubs in the World?

It's a very ambitious thing to say. You can say that with the owners and how rich they supposedly are, but they're still chasing all those bigger clubs who just have more strength, better stadiums, probably a more worldwide fan base, and a much bigger trophy cabinet.

So Newcastle probably would have to start winning more trophies and building up that way; maybe there's talk of the stadium, the training ground. I still think if you put them in the same category as the top clubs around Europe , let alone just England , they don't get the players that the top clubs get. I still think they're a little bit away from that.

Lewis Hall

Would It Now Take £100m to Get Lewis Hall Out of Newcastle?

It's crazy to think Lewis Hall is only twenty-two. It seems like he's been around for ages. I really like him. I think he's got everything you want in a left back. He's probably only behind Calafiori , the best left back in the league. But yeah, just signing that contract shows he's happy there, and he wants to carry on playing for the club. I'd say eventually, he might end up at a bigger club, whether it's in England or abroad, for around a £100m fee, because he's the England left-back now; he's going to have people wanting him.

Could Barcelona Be Looking at Lewis Hall?

Lewis Hall to Barcelona ? His connection with Anthony Gordon seems to be a talking point, their familiarity to each other and their style of play. I just think for his age and the games he's played, he's hot property, I think. Newcastle have done well to lock him down and keep hold of him.

They'll be in no rush to sell him, but you know, potentially in a year or so, he might feel the next step is to go on to a bigger club. Because we know Newcastle don't have regular Champions League football, they're sort of up and down each year. So he might want to go and test himself, especially now he seems to be the England number one. He knows he's a popular man.

Pope, Howe and Everton

Could Nick Pope Push For a Move Away?

Well, obviously I played with Nick . I was there a year when he came in at Burnley . He was number three that first year. He wasn't happy, even though he had Tom Heaton and Paul Robinson ahead of him. But then eventually he got in, and he became the number one ahead of Tom Heaton , Joe Hart , and Anders Lindegaard . He kept them all out. He's used to playing. He got into the England setup, he got his move, and I think he showed everyone how good he was at shot-stopping and coming to collect the ball.

Obviously, his size helps with that. I know there's always a thing where maybe his kicking could have been better, but we've seen that with other top keepers now. If he can save the team a few goals a season, it's a hard thing to do. So, knowing him personally as well, he'll be happy, and I know he's a family man and it's a good club to be at, but he won't want to be sitting on the bench for all of this season. I think his contract runs out at the end of this season, and he'll be thirty-five then. I think he'll have that itch to be playing, especially in the last few years of his career.

Would Spurs or Man Utd Fit Eddie Howe Best?

Eddie Howe 's stock was so high after leaving Newcastle . Clubs are always going to be looking at him and what he's done for that club. I was there when he came in; the change he made and how he just grew the club into being a Champions League team and winning them some silverware was so impressive. There are going to be clubs looking at him; people have mentioned Spurs , but De Zerbi has got that big contract now, and they've signed all those players. I have a feeling that Spurs are going to give him time for that project he's built. I'd imagine they don't want to do the payoff if they were to get rid of him.

Man Utd ? Michael Carrick has been unlucky. United have been a bit up and down, but they were close to getting a couple more points on the board, and then you probably wouldn't even be talking about that. For me, I think the natural transition for Eddie would have been possibly the England job. I think with the way he builds the group and gets everyone together, it's a bit like what Gareth Southgate did, and he'd have that environment. That's where I personally would have thought his next step was, but you never know. If one of these big clubs do sack their manager, he'll definitely be in contention.

Can Moyes and Tarkowski Guide Everton to Europe?

Everton in Europe ? I think it's more possible than ever now, especially with nine spots up for grabs. They were unlucky last year; they came so close to it. They've got that new stadium now, and the fans are itching for maybe a European run or a cup run. For me, the thing with Everton is I think they're really solid under Moyes .

I just don't think they have enough creativity and goals to put together these runs of six, seven, eight games of winning, not just being unbeaten, but winning and having a strong hold in games. I just don't see it. I know Thierno Barry has started off well and scored goals, but I just don't think they have enough in them. But I could be proved wrong.

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