ON TOP OF THE WORD
England star Anthony Gordon asks his fiancée to bring self help book Cristiano Ronaldo swears by to Euro 2024
Winger also uses visualisation and meditation to help him fulfil potential
ANTHONY GORDON has asked his missus to bring a self-help book out to Germany with her that Cristiano Ronaldo swears by.
England winger Gordon is a big reader of non-fiction as part of his holistic approach to maximising his potential.
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So his ears pricked up when Three Lions training goalkeeper Tom Heaton revealed at dinner that Portugal megastar Ronaldo, 39, is a huge fan of Life Force by Tony Robbins.
Gordon, 22, then told fiancee Annie to buy it so he can add it to the other two reads he has with him at the Euros.
The Newcastle forward revealed to BBC Radio 5 Live: “Tom Heaton was talking about Ronaldo at the table the other day and said that was the book he was reading and had suggested to the Man Utd lads.
“I was earwigging about the stuff he was saying, what’s good for the body, and I was thinking, ‘If Ronaldo reads it, I’m going to have a little read and see if I can pick anything out!’”
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Gordon has already brought The Art of Winning: Ten Lessons in Leadership, Purpose and Potential by New Zealand rugby union icon Dan Carter.
As well as Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within, a memoir by retired NAVY Seal and ultra-marathon specialist David Goggins, designed to unlock the true power of your grey matter.
The content of all three and Gordon’s interest in them speaks to the Liverpudlian’s obsession with self-improvement.
He is a huge believer in the merits of visualisation and meditation, as he .
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The book Gordon claims has made the biggest impact on his life so far is called Winning: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness by elite performance coach turned bestselling author, whose clients included basketball legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Though it does not sound like there will be too many of the current England squad taking Gordon up on any of his reading recommendations.
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The former Everton man said: “Have we got a book club? We definitely do not have a book club!
“I’m not sure how many of us read, everyone is into different things.
“I think there’s a few of us who read, but I wouldn't be able to tell you who.
“It’s sort of like a meditation for me, now.
“I like self-help books, a lot of psychology things. I feel like I’m going to read it and be better or come out of it knowing something that I didn’t before.”
Gordon is the type of professional athlete that will turn to sources outside football to help his game.
He grew up boxing and claims the sweet science has helped with his physicality and durability on the pitch.
While he taught himself chess during last summer’s Under-21 Euros in Georgia - a competition he ended up winning and being named player of the tournament.
It was also where he started scribbling down his life goals in the past tense.
He explained: “I write them as if they have already happened. That gives me no time to debate them and it’s a clear path to follow.
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“I started doing it in the Under-21 Euros. I came off a season when I was struggling. I had just joined Newcastle and I couldn’t really get in the team.
“I went to the Under-21 Euros and my main goal was to win player of the tournament and to win the tournament, which I did.
“They were two massive goals that have gone on to change my life really, because my trajectory (since then) has gone upwards.”
Gordon’s goal last term was to score ten goals for Newcastle, which he surpassed, and become Eddie Howe’s most valued player, which arguably he was, along with Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes.
It led to him being included in the England squad this summer, but declared his Euro targets as “private”.
Gareth Southgate has been hugely impressed with the Toon star, though he did not use him in Sunday’s 1-0 opening win over Serbia.
Gordon sees a similarity between his national boss and Carlo Ancelotti, who managed him at Everton.
The explosive attacker said: “They are both very good man-managers, they are very approachable.
“They take the pressure off the football a lot. They’re not too tense during pre-match game and around training .
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“They’re always quite light-hearted, and I like that as a player because if everyone is tense during training and we can all feel the pressure - because we’re all nervous, we all feel pressure - so the more people can make the environment comfortable the better.
“They’re very similar in that way.”
Meet the grumpy ROBOT waiter looking after England stars at the Euros
ENGLAND stars will be served by a grumpy ROBOT called Robbie at the Euros.
Robbie is a key part of 160-strong staff at the vast 350-acre leisure site at Blankenhain, eastern Germany, where Gareth Southgate's squad will be staying for the tournament.
The real-life WALL-E - kitted out in a Germany shirt with the name Kehrbart and the squad number 24 on it - helps out in the restaurant.
Robbie, with flashing blue eyes, says phrases in German including “Excuse me” and “Please let me get on with my work” as he collects dishes from guests at one of the hotel’s six restaurants.
A source told The Sun: “Robbie is usually a slate grey colour with flashing blue eyes and helps staff deliver plates and dishes.
“But the German team stayed at the hotel recently so he was given a new look and new name to support them.
“I’m not sure whether the England team will want to change his look when they arrive but a Three Lions shirt and an English name might be a good idea."
Find out all about Robbie the robot waiter...
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