Dan Burn has said his fellow Geordie, Elliot Anderson has been unlucky this season at Newcastle United but is hoping he can kick on next season.
Speaking to The Athletic, Dan Burn has given his thoughts on the 2022/23 season as we go into the final game on Sunday. He’s spoken about his feelings ahead of the next campaign as well as his thoughts on his fellow teammates.
When it comes to 20-year-old Elliot Anderson, Burn feels like many Newcastle fans: he’s been so unlucky.
Dan Burn says Anderson has been so unlucky this season
“The Geordie Maradona! He’s been so unlucky,” said Burn. “You think about the Liverpool game when Nick Pope was sent off and then the Nottingham Forest game when his header was chalked off. With the club able to go out and spend money, it’s going to be harder for players to come through here, but Elliot is such a talent and I really want him to kick on next year.”
Personally, I’m still reeling from that ridiculous decision to overturn Anderson’s goal against Forest, so I can’t imagine how the lad himself must feel about it.
I, along with many other fans, had hoped that Anderson would seize his opportunity to kick on this season after his hugely impressive loan spell at Bristol Rovers under former Magpie Joey Barton. Earning himself the ‘Geordie Maradona’ moniker and being hailed as ‘brilliant‘ by Barton, Anderson came back to the North East ready to rock.
Unfortunately, it just never quite went to plan. Anderson has made a few impressive cameos, but when he has started for Newcastle, things haven’t gone well. The two aforementioned incidents that Burn highlighted being stand-outs, and the 2-1 defeat to League One Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup being another.
Anderson may just need a good run in the first-team to build confidence
The talent is definitely there for all to see, and maybe it’s one of those cases of him needing a run in the first-team to build his confidence before he can really show what he can do. Maybe a few starts in pre-season will be enough.
That being said, if he found it hard to break into the first team this season, it’s going to be even trickier next season after Eddie Howe‘s shopping spree. Although, on the flip side, there should be more opportunities due to squad rotation.
I, like Dan Burn, hope that Anderson sticks around at Newcastle and is given his chance to shine. We do love one of our own after all.