Alan Shearer makes feelings clear on Anthony Gordon after being called out by Newcastle and England star

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker, Shearer expressed his appreciation for Gordon's combative response.

"Good! I love it!" Shearer declared. "That's fine. You always get the chance, the right to reply as a player.

"I wouldn't change anything I said the other night against Barcelona. Illness wouldn't have kept me out for a game."

Gordon hit back forcefully following his match-winning performance, dismissing the media commentary as "complete and utter stupidity."

The England international revealed he had been confined to bed for three days prior to the Champions League encounter and missed training entirely.

"I was in bed for three days, missed training, and turned up on the day of the game ready to start – I thought I was starting," Gordon explained in his post-match interview.

The winger disclosed that Eddie Howe informed him upon arrival at the stadium that he would not feature from the beginning, a decision he accepted reluctantly.

"Saying I didn't want to play in the biggest game of my career is absolute nonsense," he added.

Roy Keane also weighed in following the Barcelona fixture, questioning the logic of Gordon's situation on The Overlap.

"How can you be ill and come on for half an hour? It's bizarre, isn't it?" Keane remarked.

Wayne Rooney added further criticism, claiming Gordon had walked past the pundits before the match and declined to shake hands, citing concerns about spreading illness, before then entering the dressing room with teammates.

Gordon directly addressed Rooney's account, insisting he had changed separately from the squad in a tiny room containing only himself and a sink.

"Complete nonsense, I think they need to do better," the winger concluded.

Shearer had initially questioned Gordon's commitment ahead of the Barcelona clash, describing himself as "old school" in his approach.

"Maybe I'm old school but if you're fit enough to train in the morning, and I know he doesn't feel well, but this is Barcelona at Newcastle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League," the 55-year-old had said.

"It would take something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game tonight."

Despite the public spat, Gordon's winning goal contributed to an enjoyable weekend for the Toon legend, who hosted Ian Wright in the North East.

The pair played golf before embarking on an extended celebration, beginning with Guinness and continuing well into the early hours.