John-Kymani Gordon says he is here to “cause havoc” and “be a menace” to Carlisle United’s opponents.
It’d safe to say he’s made a good start in that respect. With a stylish and clinically taken goal, Gordon caused havoc and was a menace to Newport County’s defence on his Blues debut.
It came a day after his move from Crystal Palace, and Gordon could not have showcased his attributes any quicker. It whetted the appetites of United’s supporters as they got their first look at Paul Simpson’s latest loan signing.
It certainly tickled the fancy of Gordon himself, too. He smiles as he reflects on a first-team bow he will never forget.
“Firstly, I remember coming to the stadium, and getting some fans asking for a signature and stuff. That felt good,” he says. “Just before the game I was nervous, but I was also thinking to myself, ‘I need to score, because what a debut that would be if I did score’.
“I remember the lads all speaking to me saying, ‘Just be confident, go out there and do your thing’. Then walking out from the tunnel was amazing. I heard the fans cheering my name as well…and it just gave me confidence.
“It’s not something I’m used to. It felt amazing, really. Then going on to score on my debut, get man of the match and also get three points…I don’t think you can get a better debut than that, really.”
Gordon, 19, had to wait for his opportunity to run at Newport’s back line but, when fed by Kristian Dennis in the 57th minute, he exploded into life.
It was a highly impressive moment, as the forward translated his Under-21 Premier League potential into League Two delivery. It was also a reward for the sort of patience and persistence needed on the first-team front.
“Especially at this level, you have to perform, otherwise you can get taken off,” Gordon says. “I know when I got the ball I just have to cause havoc. I have to be a menace for the other team, a menace for their defenders.
“I was just waiting for that opportunity to get the ball to feet and have a one-v-one. As soon as I got the ball, energy just burst into me, like I was ready. I was pretty sure I was going to score, and I did.”
After rifling home with his left foot, Gordon sped behind the goal, into the embrace of fans in the Warwick Road End. It appeared a different experience to scoring for Palace’s Under-21s in front of considerably fewer than Brunton Park’s 5,603.
“It was a lot different, to be fair,” he says. “To score in front of that many fans, especially on your debut as well…yeah, words can’t describe it really.
“I just want to help the team as much as possible to get this promotion, and get wins, week in week out, and I think it’s gonna feel good when I keep scoring more and more.”
Gordon chose Carlisle for the first loan move of his aspiring career for different reasons. He had other options that were closer to home, but the south Londoner was keen to “come out of my comfort zone” by heading so far north.
United’s challenge at the top end of League Two also attracted him – as did the calibre of their manager.
“Carlisle was the first club to show interest in me. I feel like that’s a big thing,” he says.
“I also spoke to Paul [Simpson] on the phone and then also met up with him, and I could just tell the interest was genuine. I could tell he wanted to help me. I could tell he was really interested in me coming here.
“On top of that, I felt it was the best decision to get game time also. When you look at the position we’re in, challenging for promotion, I felt it was a great opportunity.”
Simpson’s considerable pedigree includes a World Cup-winning spell as England Under-20 manager. Did that appeal to a 19-year-old prospect like Gordon?
“A hundred percent. That was a big factor, actually. You want a manager that has worked with young players, that shows interest in young players.
“Sometimes for a young player it’s hard to get game time in league football. You’ve got to have a manager that trusts you. You can tell that Paul trusts young players. I even looked at the squad before coming here and the age is very low. That’s good for me as well.”
Until now, Gordon has only known Crystal Palace in professional football. He joined them at the age of eight and has worked his way through the ranks, to the point where he has recently been in Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad.
Speaking about his boyhood beginnings, he says: “I was just playing for my Sunday League team, Purley Panthers, and I remember the game. It was funny…I left my boots on the pitch, and was about to leave, but then had to go back and get them.
“During that time I went back to get my boots, the Palace scouts had gone and spoken to my dad. The timing works out perfectly…
“I remember going on trial, I had to do a six-week trial but it got extended to eight weeks, and at one point they weren’t sure if they were signing me, but eventually I got signed and I’ve been there ever since.”
Gordon played above his age group at times at Palace, as his attacking potential began to flourish. He has been nurtured by coaches such as paddy McCarthy and, more recently, Shaun Derry at Selhurst Park.
There is an excited innocence about his recollection of the day he went from hopeful youth to professional.
“It was during Covid,” he says. It was over a Zoom call. “My manager, Paddy McCarthy, said he wanted a Zoom call with me. I was very confused – there was no football going on or nothing. I got on the Zoom call and they said the club would like to offer me a pro contract.
“I was so shocked. No-one was in the house at the time, and I remember just getting lost for words. As soon as I came off the phone I let out a big scream. When my mum came home later and I told her, she was just happy as well, nearly in tears I think. Everyone was happy.”
Gordon says he has learned lots from the likes of McCarthy and Derry, two vastly experienced former players and coaches, and from training with stars such as Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze. Then there is the inspiring challenge of impressing the great Vieira, the Eagles’ manager.
Gordon was five years from being born when Vieira won the World Cup with France, and only one when the midfielder helped power Arsenal to an invincible Premier League title season. Yet his reputation requires little explanation.
“It’s crazy,” says Gordon of the experience of working under such a legend, “especially when you build a relationship with him, and he takes you under his wing and speaks to you about how to improve your game.
“I remember him telling me at the start of December I was gonna be with him [and the first-team group] for the next six weeks. Even hearing that, I was happy because I knew I would improve so much.
“It’s not easy, the tempo is high there, with the quality of players in the first team. For him to trust you to train there, it shows a lot. He’s also given me good feedback to say I’ve trained well, or mentioned things I’ve done well. Especially coming from him is amazing, really, to build your confidence.”
What was Vieira’s parting message as Gordon packed his bags and set off for Cumbria? “He told me to enjoy myself. He told me he knows I can do well on loan, and said to go there, perform, get your goals and come back a better player, a better person, and we’ll see what happens from there.”
Gordon believes heading so far north for this loan opportunity will be character-building. “When looking to go on loan, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and also play. Carlisle was the furthest club out of all the other clubs [who were interested] but I felt like since I’ve come here, the boys have been so welcoming, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
“They’ve been messaging me to make sure I’ve settled in and am comfortable here. I thought when I came here I’d be itching to go home every day, but I’m actually comfortable staying here. I’ll probably stay here a while before going home.
“I’m hoping to develop more as a person – living by yourself, and so on. I’ve been at Palace for a long time, I’ve lived close to Selhurst Park and the training ground, and everything was so close and easy, whereas now, coming out of my comfort zone is going to help me as a person, because in football you never know where you’re going to end up.
“I feel it’s a big opportunity also to show as a player I can do well in men’s football, and also improve my game. The tempo is faster, more physical. If I’m doing well here it will definitely help me when I go back to Crystal Palace and hopefully be in the first team.”
Gordon’s arrival was welcomed by United’s supporters who are keen to see the Premier League prospect fire up a promotion challenge under Simpson. The young forward has enjoyed that initial embrace.
“I saw a lot of the fans’ comments on social media, and they’re very happy that I arrived here. That made me a lot more confident and comfortable. I think it had a big part in me feeling comfortable.”
Gordon says that, despite trying to “stay calm”, he couldn’t stop smiling when his Carlisle debut went so well. Even after he had been substituted, and taken his place on the bench, the grin did not leave his face. “Hearing I got man of the match as well, that made me smile for longer,” he says.
His first impressions of League Two football in general were that it is “much more physical, and the tempo is faster.
“I remember speaking to my agent before the game – he’s played at League Two and League One – and he said the game’s gonna be fast, you haven’t got time to really get used to the change in the game. You’ve got to be prepared.”
He was happy Simpson deployed him on the left of United’s attack from the off. “That’s where I’ve played most of my games for the [Palace] under-21s, which he’s seen. That’s the sort of area where I’ve got most of my goals from. He knows what I can do there. Before the game he said, ‘Just go out and do you,’ really.”
Gordon says he hopes this spell with United will equip him for a first-team future at his boyhood club. There are 21 further games in which he can also help prepare Carlisle for League One, should all go well.
The first of those comes at Valley Parade, and an encounter with one of Carlisle’s play-off rivals in Bradford City – as well as a first meeting with United’s buoyant travelling fans.
“I can’t wait, to be honest,” he says. “I just want to cause as much havoc as possible, hopefully get my goal, we get the win, and we go home happy.”
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