Anthony Gordon: England and Barcelona winger shrugs off consistency concerns to become key figure for club and country

It took until the final pre-World Cup warm-up with Costa Rica, where Gordon scored one and set up another, to finally nail down his spot for the tournament opener with Croatia. Even then, many of the Sky Sports writers were yet to be fully won over.

But barely three months on, he has become an integral name on Thomas Tuchel's team-sheet and one of his most valued attacking players.

Since a slow start to that World Cup, something has clicked. Blanks in England's first two games against Croatia and Ghana saw him dropped for the must-win final group match with Panama, but on his return he set up both of Harry Kane's goals in the comeback win over DR Congo.

Another assist against Norway plus a crowning goal in England's biggest game, the semi-final with Argentina, have brought the country and, perhaps, Gordon himself along too.

The Barcelona winger is now on a four-game international scoring streak - the longest of any player in the current set-up and of anyone not called Harry Kane in almost six years.

That would be an impressive run for any player, not least one whose attacking output was so openly questioned right up until the eve that summer tournament.

Gordon had struggled to recreate his best moments for his club in an England shirt until this year's showpiece, but now has 10 goal involvements in his last 10 games for his country as part of the most in-form front four in international football.

His reputation was been helped by a diffcult final year at Newcastle under the Premier League microscope, where he managed just five non-penalty goal involvements in the top flight. It understandably framed judgement over his ability - but only two seasons earlier he had produced four times that figure in his first campaign on Tyneside.

It frustrated him sufficiently to tell ITV ahead of this camp his "quality and football IQ" had not been respected by fans in England before moving to Barcelona.

Certainly, the talent has always been there. His first two years at Newcastle, and bits of his time at Everton, show it. But consistency, rather than talent, has long been the biggest concern for Gordon's coaches.

There was enough belief in Barcelona that they could get Gordon back to his best even before the World Cup that sporting director Deco and head coach Hansi Flick followed Tuchel's lead and looked beyond his Premier League struggles to sign him ahead of Marcus Rashford. That came despite paying more than double what his England team-mate would have cost.

It went under the radar more widely that only Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe netted more than his 10 goals in 12 games in last season's Champions League, including against his future employees in the League Phase. It had not gone unnoticed at the Nou Camp.

Perhaps it is ironic that in Gordon's recent interview he complained he was only valued for his work-rate and speed before moving to Barcelona, days after Deco told RAC1 in Spain it had been the winger's "intensity' which had attracted them to him in the first place.

But the 25-year-old has undoubtedly taken his game to the next level and proven himself in ways he had not before over these last few months on the domestic and international stage.

Prior to that Costa Rica showing he had produced only two goals and an assist in his first 18 England games.

With what we have seen since, there is no question he can step up in the biggest games. When England have needed answers, he has delivered, both in a World Cup semi-final as well as his strikes in the Nations League against Spain and the Czech Republic which were both match-changing interventions.

Gordon has always had the self-belief. That was clear the moment he revealed at his Barca unveiling he felt he would play for the club since the age of three, and had clearly been preparing long enough to deliver his speech in assured Spanish.

That World Cup run can have only built his confidence further, plus the tag of becoming the first Englishman signed permanently by Barcelona since Gary Lineker, 40 years ago.

He has hit the ground running at the Nou Camp, with fans' interactions already going viral on social media as they immediately warm to a player who has managed four assists in his first six LaLiga matches - double the number he laid on across his final season in the Premier League and the joint-most in the division this season.

Deco has made a point of publicly encouraging Gordon to improve his finishing, but his goalscoring run for England suggests that too will follow in time.

Whether he can keep up his bright start in Catalonia or his goalscoring form for England, or if long-term consistency remains his greatest struggle, will only be found out in the fullness of time.

But if he can, both club and country will have a serious player on their hands.