Rafa Benitez told Anthony Gordon to improve one area before Newcastle United move

A turbulent six-month spell as Toffees manager saw the Spaniard arrive as persona non grata due to his Liverpool connections. Everton fans protested Benitez’s arrival and he lasted just six months in charge before a brutal January sacking.

This remains the 64-year-old’s most recent job in English football and came two years after he left Newcastle United. Benitez was a popular figure on Tyneside but walked out in 2019 following years of failed Mike Ashley promises.

At Everton, the tactician briefly oversaw Gordon’s development from prospect to Premier League regular. While the winger had already made his Blues debut, the 2021-22 campaign was his breakout season.

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Newcastle came calling the following year, stumping up £40million to alleviate Everton’s financial woes. Gordon has gone on to become a roaring success at St James’ Park and regular England international.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Benitez disclosed how Gordon’s stamina needed work as he broke through the Everton ranks. The former Toon boss always saw his raw qualities that were not always clear when looking at the stats.

“He’s a nice lad, a good professional,” Benitez said. “We discovered that he had some issues with his stamina - so we were working on that. At that time he could make the sprints but he couldn’t recover properly, so we started working on his stamina.

“I remember he had to go with the under-21’s, but he didn’t go and after, as soon as he improved that (stamina) he was away with the national team. The point was that he was very fast, but he couldn’t recover.

“We started working on his stamina without losing his pace, that was the main thing. I remember talking to the people of Everton and they told me that he has been improving his work rate all this time and he’s getting better and better.”