Latest news with #ElliotAnderson
New York Times
04-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Elliot Anderson knocking on the England door is testament to Forest's growth environment
Before he signed for Newcastle United at the age of eight, Elliot Anderson was occasionally coached by Paul Gascoigne at Wallsend Boys Club. Wallsend is a footballing institution in the North East, with Peter Beardsley, Alan Shearer and Michael Carrick all having come through their ranks. And following Anderson's performances for England as they won the Under-21 European Championship last month, it seems increasingly likely that he will follow in their footsteps — and those of Gascoigne, whose nephew played in the same Wallsend side as Anderson — in another sense. Advertisement Following an outstanding debut season under Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest fans have long been campaigning for Anderson to be given a senior England call-up. But the plan among the England hierarchy was always for him to be given the opportunity to shine in Slovakia in the Under-21 tournament this summer. And he did exactly that, appearing in every game in the competition, while contributing a goal and an assist for Lee Carsley's side, who lifted the trophy following a 3-2 extra-time win over Germany. His performances in the heart of midfield will surely have given Thomas Tuchel something to think about. But the rise of Anderson should have given plenty of other people food for thought as well. Because, in a similar way to Wallsend, Forest are increasingly building a reputation of their own. Anderson is only the latest in a long line of examples as to why, if you are a young player wanting to progress your career, signing for Forest might be a very good idea. The midfielder was already regarded as being a player with vast potential at St James' Park, where he had been bestowed with the rather lofty nickname of 'the Geordie Maradona' — something Forest fans have continued to call him following his move. But last season was the first time that Anderson had enjoyed a consistent run of Premier League games. His close control and ability to carry the ball in tight areas make it an understandable comparison. But with his determined outlook, he is perhaps more comparable to a young Steven Gerrard or even a young Roy Keane. Even if he has a long way to go to match those players, his trajectory is unmistakably an upward one. After making his top-flight debut for Newcastle in January 2021, Anderson subsequently made 44 league appearances, but only 13 of those were starts. Under Nuno, Anderson was involved in 37 of Forest's 38 Premier League games in 2024-25, and he started 33 of them. Advertisement Having been signed predominantly to bolster Forest's options on the left side of the three in their preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, Anderson has instead established himself as their most effective central midfielder, more regularly playing in the two. It is in a similar, deeper role where he flourished for England Under-21s in Slovakia — and where he might ultimately be able to force himself onto Tuchel's radar. What is almost certain is that he will start the coming season as one of the first names on the team sheet for Nuno, as Forest look to build on their seventh-placed finish. 'I still believe he has the ability to be versatile. It can only make him better for the future, being able to play more than one position,' said Nuno in a press conference towards the end of the campaign. 'It is a thing a squad needs in its players and Elliot can do that. Every time one of our players plays for their national side, we are proud. That is one of their goals as an individual and that makes them perform better for us. It's a cycle.' Anderson will return to the City Ground as a European age-group champion, but he will also return as one of a growing number of examples of players who have improved by being given the opportunity to grow and evolve with Forest. Since winning promotion in 2022, Forest invested around £101million ($137m) to sign Neco Williams, Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Danilo and Anthony Elanga. Callum Hudson-Odoi cost a relatively modest £4m when he joined two years ago. None were outcasts. They were all young men with bright reputations. But they, along with Anderson, have all taken a significant step forward at Forest. They have all become better players, and this is proven by the interest shown in them or Forest's desire to tie them down to new deals. Newcastle are keen on Elanga, with a bid of £45m — three times the fee Forest paid for him two years ago — having been rejected last month. Williams has just agreed a new contract tying him to the club until 2029. Murillo's progress has seen him monitored by some of the big teams across Europe — if he ever does leave Forest, he could easily become one of the most expensive defenders ever. Advertisement Manchester City were keen on Gibbs-White, who regularly captained Forest last season and has now won four senior caps with England. He has become one of the most important and influential figures in the Forest dressing room. Hudson-Odoi made his England debut at the age of just 18 in 2019 and was regarded as the next big thing to come through the Chelsea ranks. But his career had stagnated in London and it was only the move to Forest that sparked it back to life. Forest hope he'll sign a longer contract, with his current deal set to expire next summer. Danilo's rise was paused last season by the broken leg he suffered on the opening day. But, if he is sold this summer, it is likely to be for roughly double the amount Forest paid (£11m) for the Brazilian. When Forest made the step up from the Championship, owner Evangelos Marinakis was a fan of the Brighton & Hove Albion model, the way they invested reasonable fees to sign the brightest young talent from different markets around the world, before committing time and effort into making them better. Now, if a young player — Botafogo's Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha are perfect examples, with the duo expected to complete moves to Forest imminently — is considering the merits of a move to the City Ground, they only need look at the number of individuals who have seen their potential fulfilled at Forest. Nuno and the club's hierarchy have worked hard to create a nurturing environment. The facilities at the training ground have been improved, with the focus on promoting a sense of togetherness, with the cafeteria and players' lounge having been revamped to create a space where players can be together before and after training. 'I believe everybody should be in equal circumstances, and everybody has a fresh start — no matter how old you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what you did in the past,' said Nuno in a press conference. 'Because there's no past in football, there's always only what is ahead of you.' But there is no escaping the fact that their success in developing players will only make signing for Forest a more attractive prospect, and their future should be brighter for it. Anderson and many others would surely attest.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
England U21 star Scott hails team-mate Anderson ahead of Euros semi-final
England U21 midfielder Alex Scott hailed teammate Elliot Anderson for his significant impact in helping the Young Lions progress to the semi-finals of the U21 European Championship. The pair have impressed as defensive midfielders in Lee Carsley's 4-2-2-2 system throughout this summer's tournament. Advertisement Anderson had a standout season for Nottingham Forest, providing eight goal contributions as the Reds secured European football for the first time since 1996. The Bournemouth midfielder was full of praise for his midfield partner, with the duo expected to start against the Netherlands in the semi-final on Wednesday night. '[It's been] really enjoyable,' he said. 'He's obviously had an amazing season at Forest. He's shown what he can do in the Premier League. 'Then, to come here, he's a massive player for us and he brings us so much experience, energy and his technical ability is very good as well. I've loved every minute of playing next to him in midfield. Advertisement 'We have a great relationship off the pitch and that comes on the pitch as well. He's a top, top player and we get along all the time.' Scott will be hoping to draw on experience gained from competing in the U19 European Championship back in 2022, where he scored with his first touch of the game in the semi-final against Italy. 'It's on a different scale,' he said. 'You're playing for the U21s now, and we've seen how good they were two years ago and what it took for them to win it. So I think that's almost the baseline for us. 'Like (Lee) Carsley said, we're a different group of players. We know what it takes to win, some of us, in the U19s. But we're just looking forward to it. We've been working so hard throughout the qualifying campaign, and we deserve to be here. 'Obviously, we're an England team. We go into every game with the mindset that we have the ability to win the game. So there's no reason why we're not going to do that tomorrow.'
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Football Daily Harvey Elliott fires England through to Euros final
Ben Haines presents reaction to Lee Carsley's England U21 side reaching the Euros final. Nedum Onuoha, Stephen Warnock, and John Murray react to England's win in Bratislava. A brilliant brace from Liverpool's Harvey Elliott saw England run out 2-1 winners against The Netherlands. Hear from the Young Lions' hero on the night, as well as England's U21 manager. Also hear from Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson. Timecodes: 00:35 Harvey Elliott post-match 03:40 England through to the final 05:55 Elliott provides star quality 07:45 England have found the formula 11:50 Lee Carsley post-match 15:45 Carsley the "difference maker" 24:35 Elliot Anderson shines 25:40 Anderson post-match 27:45 England favourites?
The Independent
22-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
England U21s book place in Euros last four with Spain win
England secured a 3-1 victory over Spain in Slovakia, booking their place in the European U21 Championship semi-finals. James McAtee opened the scoring for England in the 10th minute, followed by Harvey Elliott's goal five minutes later. Spain 's Javi Guerra scored from a penalty in the 39th minute, reducing England's lead. Elliot Anderson sealed England's win with a penalty in second-half stoppage time. England will next face the Netherlands in the semi-finals.
Glasgow Times
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
England reach last four of European Under-21 Championship after beating Spain
The Young Lions, who next face the Netherlands, benefited from an early let-off after a VAR check resulted in an overturned penalty. Captain James McAtee opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Harvey Elliott netted his second goal of the tournament five minutes later. Javi Guerra clawed a goal back for Spain with a 39th-minute penalty, but substitute Elliot Anderson's own spot-kick in second-half stoppage time assured Lee Carsley's men of their spot in the final four. England got off to an unsteady start as Spain thought they won a penalty when Charlie Cresswell – looking like he was trying to get out of the way – was penalised with a handball by on-field referee Simone Sozza. The Italian was called to the monitor by his VAR compatriot, and England breathed a sigh of relief when the call was overturned. McAtee opened the scoring from an Alex Scott corner after a flick-on by Omari Hutchinson. Spain got a touch, but only in the direction of the alert England skipper, who turned home from close range. Elliott doubled England's advantage five minutes later, tapping in the rebound after Spain goalkeeper Alejandro Iturbe spilled a save from Jarell Quansah's long-range effort. England gifted Spain another chance from 12 yards, however, after losing the ball deep inside their own third, exacerbating the error when Quansah, who dangled a leg, caught Alberto Moleiro and Sozza immediately pointed to the spot. Guerra stepped up and halved the deficit after coolly sending James Beadle the wrong way. Some great work from Quansah and Hutchinson after the restart nearly set up Jay Stansfield, who saw his effort deflect over, shortly before Cresswell nodded a corner into the side-netting. Elliot Anderson wrapped up England's semi-final berth with a late penalty (Petr David Josek/AP) Beadle twice denied Guerra then gathered up a Mateo Joseph effort, while England were still in search of a first shot on target since Elliott's goal with 20 minutes remaining after Morton fired just wide. Jack Hinshelwood should have extended England's lead but he mistimed a free header over the crossbar. England hit Spain, who were searching for a late equaliser, on the counter when Iturbe was punished for bringing down Jonathan Rowe inside the penalty area, which Anderson slotted home to seal victory.
