Newcastle United’s very own Elliot Anderson is once again on England’s radar as they look to persuade him to turn his back on Scotland.
The Geordie midfielder, born in Whitley Bay, currently plays his international football for Scotland thanks to his Scottish grandmother. However, the The Sun reports that the Three Lions chiefs now want Anderson to represent England’s under-21s to help them with their upcoming qualification bid for the 2025 Euros.
Anderson, dubbed the ‘Geordie Maradona‘ following comments from Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton after his stunning displays while on loan, has represented England Under-19’s once before, but has a combined seven Scotland caps for their youth teams.
England have tried to lure Anderson before
This isn’t the first time that England have come calling to try and get Anderson to switch allegiances. The Daily Mail reported something similar in March last year with the England camp impressed with his form at Bristol Rovers.
Since that impressive loan stint, Eddie Howe has blocked several loan offers this season, opting to keep him at Newcastle as he gradually introduces him to first-team football. This season, Anderson has made 16 appearances for Howe’s side in all competitions.
The 20-year-old received his first Premier League start when Newcastle hosted Liverpool at St James’ Park on that fateful day that saw Nick Pope sent off forcing him to miss the Carabao Cup final. Unfortunately, for Anderson, it was he who was sacrificed by Howe in order to bring on Martin Dubravka.
Anderson has the potential to be a star
Eddie Howe has a lot of good things to say about Anderson and believes that he can still be a big player for Newcastle, with The Sun reporting him saying as recently as February: “The strength he has within him, we really believe in him.
“He’s got very good attributes and like all players, I think he would need a run in the team to really show his qualities but he can certainly play.”
Former Newcastle scout Graham Carr sang Elliot’s praises and backed him to break into the Newcastle first-team as his loan spell was coming to an end, telling The Daily Mail: “This loan move looks like it has done him the world of good. He could get Bristol promoted this year. But it’s a waste of time sending him out again. He will be bordering on the first-team next season, and he should definitely be part of the squad.
“He is classy. He receives the ball like Peter Beardsley. He kills it and moves it all in one motion. That is a gift. He stood out like a sore thumb on Saturday, miles above anyone else. He looks out of place. I got in the car afterwards and started ringing people to talk about him.”
It remains to be seen whether Anderson can be convinced to walk away from the Scotland set up in order to represent the country of his birth. The general opinion amongst fans being that it will be easier for him to push into the full Scotland squad than England.
Though, with the faith Eddie Howe has in him, and the potential we’ve all seen in him during his loan spell at Bristol, there’s nothing to say that Anderson can’t go on to be an England star with enough support and first-team chances.