Jeff Stelling admits he was completely wrong about former Everton player who’s been ‘phenomenal’ since leaving

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Everton have made some rather high-profile transfer errors across the last decade, with incomings galore threatening a brighter future.

And why wouldn’t fans have been excited, when Farhad Moshiri came in with his billions promising the world?

‘We need to be competitive and we need to win,’ he told his faithful new fanbase upon first joining the club. ‘We don’t want to be a museum.’

Eight years on, and that comment looks more and more foolish by the day. Less a museum and now more a morgue, the Toffees have suffered from the hubris of an owner who had no idea what he was doing.

Now, the current squad is forcibly being gutted year after year just to keep the lights on. What a sad state of affairs.

Jeff Stelling left stunned by former Everton man

What’s worse is that, with each new player that leaves, there emerges a new opportunity for that outbound asset to come back to haunt them.

Wayne Rooney did countless times, as did Romelu Lukaku, but even more recently Richarlison returned to Goodison Park to net a regrettable brace.

However, one man who is yet to make such an impact is Anthony Gordon, much to the delight and relief of Evertonians.

He is a much-maligned figure on Merseyside, having forced his way to Newcastle United in January 2023, when the club was at its lowest.

Ever since, a faux rivalry has been born between these two clubs, with the Magpies using the 23-year-old’s success this season as a perfect stick to beat the Toffees with.

And now, speaking live on talkSPORT (21/05, 9:25 am), Jeff Stelling has admitted that he too did not expect such a turnaround from the youngster.

He claimed: ‘Most improved player of the season. I only had one suggestion. When Anthony Gordon went to Newcastle from Everton, I wondered why. Because I didn’t see the player in him that Eddie Howe saw in him. This season he has been phenomenal and must be in that England squad and maybe even start for England.’

Anthony Gordon could now leave Newcastle United

In a rather shocking turn of events though, this might be Gordon’s final season in the Premier League for some time.

That is, if reports coming out of Italy are to be believed, which suggested that the former Everton man might already be on his way out of Tyneside as Inter Milan have shown interest.

Having scored 11 and assisted ten in the league this campaign, it has been a stunning standout year for the wide man, who helped his side attain European football once again.

But should Gordon leave Newcastle United, a huge chunk of their long-term project would likely be set back significantly.

He has been one of the Premier League’s standout players, and the division would be worse off without him. However, Evertonians might be willing to take that hit.