Ahead of Spain clash, Gordon says England’s path to titles lies in English strengths, not imitation | OneFootball

Anthony Gordon has said England must maximise their own strengths and not look to replicate the success of other nations.

England's bid to end a 60-year wait for major tournament success fell short in the summer, when theThree Lions lost to Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals.

Thomas Tuchel's side begin their next cycle on Saturday evening, againstSpain in their UEFA Nations League opener.

Spain are the current European and World Champions after winning Euro 2024 and theWorld Cup, beating England in the former final.

Gordon has seen first-hand the level of Spanish football after moving to Barcelona from Newcastle United in the summer.

Ahead of facing Spain at international level, Gordon said England should not look to emulate La Roja. He called on the Three Lions to focus on their own strengths and maximise an English DNA to find tournament success.

Anthony Gordon urges England to embrace their own DNA, not copy Spain, ahead of Nations League opener

Reflecting on this summer's World Cup exit and the next goal for England, Gordon told a press conference: "[The] scar doesn't have to be a negative one because it might lead us to victory in the next tournaments," he said.

"We can't keep looking at other countries and trying to be like them, because we're not them - we're English and we have our own strengths which they don't have, so maybe we start playing the way we're good at.

"I'm speaking from a point of view where I feel like we are trying to replicate Spain. Because I'm in Spain, I know we have just as good players, but they have different qualities, so why are you trying to make those players the same as the Spanish players? Because the Spanish players lack the things that we have and vice versa.

"It's not in the English DNA. I'm not sure it's something that can be taught because now I think, playing in Spain, I can speak with an educated view on the way they keep the ball is different.

"I even look at some of the decisions they take on the ball sometimes and think I'm not sure how you've seen that.

"It's the way they're built. I don't know whether it is something that maybe we can't ever put a name to, but they're definitely built different."