Anthony Gordon Urges England To Abandon Spain’s Style And Find Their Own Identity

England winger Anthony Gordon has urged the Three Lions to focus on their own strengths rather than attempting to replicate Spain’s possession-based style as they prepare to face the world champions at Wembley.
Gordon spoke at St George’s Park ahead of England’s UEFA Nations League meeting with Spain on Saturday, September 26. Reuters confirmed that the fixture will open England’s Nations League campaign following the 2026 World Cup.
The Barcelona winger believes England have qualities that differ from those of the Spanish national team and should develop their own identity instead of trying to imitate another footballing culture.
Gordon said the disappointment of England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina remains painful but could ultimately serve as motivation for future tournaments.
“The scar doesn’t have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments,” Gordon said.
According to Bush Radio Academy, the 25-year-old believes England should stop comparing themselves with other countries and concentrate on the qualities that have traditionally defined their football.
“We can’t keep looking at other countries and trying to be like them, because we’re not them – we’re English, and we have our own strengths which they don’t have, so maybe we start playing the way we’re good at,” he said.
Gordon’s perspective has been shaped partly by his move to Barcelona, where he has gained first-hand experience of the differences between English and Spanish football. He said the experience had strengthened his belief that the two countries possess different qualities and should not necessarily be expected to play the same way.
“I’m speaking from a point of view where I feel like we are trying to replicate Spain,” Gordon said. “Because I’m in Spain, I know we have just as good players, but they have different qualities, so why are you trying to make those players the same as the Spanish players? Because the Spanish players lack the things that we have and vice versa.”
Gordon also questioned whether England can fully reproduce Spain’s ability to control matches through extended spells of possession. He argued that the Spanish approach is influenced by footballing habits that are difficult to replicate simply through tactical instruction.
“It’s not in the English DNA,” he said, adding that his experience in Spain had given him a better understanding of how differently Spanish players make decisions when in possession.
Gordon suggested that England could instead make greater use of their physicality, direct play and counter-attacking ability, while continuing to improve their ability to retain the ball.
The comments come as England prepare to face Spain, who won the 2026 World Cup and have retained Luis de la Fuente as their head coach through 2032.
Gordon also reflected on his own experience during England’s World Cup campaign. He started five matches and scored England’s opening goal in their semi-final against Argentina before being substituted after Thomas Tuchel changed the team’s shape.
The winger admitted he was surprised to come off shortly after scoring but acknowledged that substitutions are common for players in his position.
“It makes me feel on top of the world, especially in that moment on that stage. I felt really good,” Gordon said. “But as a winger, to be honest, I come off most games. It’s normal.”
Gordon also defended Tuchel against criticism over the tactical changes made during the semi-final. Rather than blaming the manager for England’s failure to protect their lead, he said the players should accept their share of responsibility for not taking control of the match.
“We shouldn’t try and blame one man who’s obviously trying his best and trying to win the cup for us all,” Gordon said.
“As players, we could have done more to take the initiative to control the game. I think if we do that, the manager doesn’t make the decision to use a back five.”
Gordon maintained that England had the quality to compete with Argentina but acknowledged that their performance dropped during the closing stages of the semi-final.
“For me, we had the best team, we had the best players on the pitch in that semi-final, and in the last 20 minutes we didn’t play the best football,” he said.
He believes that responsibility should be shared across the squad as England look to learn from the disappointment and build towards future international competitions.
The encounter with Spain therefore presents England with an early opportunity to test their approach against the reigning world champions, with Gordon calling for the team to embrace its own strengths rather than attempting to become a copy of another footballing nation.