EDDIE Howe wasn't at all surprised to see Anthony Gordon flourish as a striker for England, with the Newcastle boss having tried the former Everton man in a central attacking role in training.

Howe says Gordon's versatility was one of the factors that appealed to the Magpies when they signed the 22-year-old from the Toffees in January.

And although Gordon had a difficult first few months on Tyneside, the Newcastle head coach hopes England's Under-21 success perfectly sets him up for a big season at St James' Park.

Gordon was named Player of the Tournament as Lee Carsley's Young Lions were crowned champions of Europe for the first time in almost 40 years.

Gordon will now be given an extended break before joining up with his Newcastle teammates in pre-season, with the bulk of the squad reporting back on Sunday and Monday.

Carsley used Gordon as a false nine in Georgia, a role - says Howe - that is nothing new to the £45m man.

"I'd seen Anthony had played in that position for Everton before he signed for us and one of the big things when we signed him was his versatility," said Newcastle's head coach.

"For us he's played left, he's played right, he's played centrally as a midfielder. In training he's also played up front and did really well in the games we had here. He's a player who has that versatility and in a season like we're going to go into, players that can play in different positions are so valuable to us."

Gordon admitted that he wasn't fit enough to cope with Howe's demands after joining in January but promised at the end of last season that he'd be "on it like never before" for the European Championships and the start of the coming campaign.

Howe said: "I think just looking at Anthony's individual position, that tournament and how he played and England's success will serve him really well for the season ahead.

"We really do value him highly and hopefully he really contributes this year."

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Howe also reserved praise for Joelinton, who enjoyed a dream goalscoring debut for Brazil against Guinea last month.

"You go down the list of players, we've had a lot of internationals away and they've all collectively done really well," said Howe.

"We're always pleased when players get the recognition for their country, we know it's a big motivation for a lot of the players.

"I'm delighted for Joelinton. His journey to the Brazilian team has been brilliant to witness and to see him score was great."

Newcastle kick-start their pre-season with a trip to near neighbours Gateshead on Saturday, before travelling to play Rangers next Tuesday. The trip to the United States follows, where the Magpies will come up against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Brighton.

United then return home for the Sela Cup, presented by VisitMalta, at St James' Park, with games scheduled against Fiorentina and Villarreal.