Gordon isn’t taking his England spot for granted. A fit again Jude Bellingham’s surprise omission from the latest squad has served as a brutal reminder that no one is untouchable, not even the biggest names. Gordon said that reality fuels his hunger every time he pulls on the shirt.
"The moment you start thinking like that (that you've got a place in the team), then you've probably got a problem," he said. "At this level, you see the squad's changing all the time, players come in, players leave. You almost have to be a bit paranoid that you're not going to get in, because it pushes you even further.
"You've always got to challenge yourself, because the lads you are competing with are always at the highest level, that's the level we're playing at. So I never think that I'm nailed in. Obviously, it's a massive goal [to be an England regular] and one that I am pushing for."