Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has insisted that Elliot Anderson has not changed from being a youngster on Tyneside to being on the cusp of a transfer worth north of £100 million. Anderson, now a 23-year-old England regular, is Manchester City's top summer transfer target after his £35 million sale to Nottingham Forest in 2024 helped Newcastle avoid breaking profit and sustainability rules.
Anderson's World Cup Debut
Anderson put in an assured display on his World Cup debut during Tuesday's 4-2 win for England over Croatia, further underlining why Manchester City are prepared to pay a huge fee to bring him to the Etihad Stadium this summer. Burn, who is still waiting for his World Cup bow in the USA, was full of praise for Anderson's performance but suggested his development may not have been so rapid had he remained at Newcastle, competing for a place alongside Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley.
Burn's Praise for Anderson
"He's very composed," Burn told reporters from England's training base in Kansas City. "Nothing really seems to faze Elliot from what I've seen from him coming through as a kid when he came back off loan at Bristol Rovers and trained for Newcastle to now starting in the World Cup. Never changes character, always wanting the ball. Plays with that intensity the manager loves. I was really so happy for him the other day because he's had a tough time in his personal life (Anderson’s mother passed away). He’s shown the quality he's got."
Burn added: "I don't think he wanted to leave Newcastle (for Forest for PSR reasons in 2024). But would he be in the position he's in now if he'd been there (back at Newcastle)?"
Burn on Tuchel's Leadership
Burn also underlined his close relationship with England head coach Thomas Tuchel and outlined why he believes Tuchel has struck the perfect balance as manager in a major tournament. "He can really hold a room when he speaks," Burn added. "Everyone listens. He's got both sides to him where you can go to the baseball (on Thursday) and he’ll throw first pitch and you can sit and chat to him. But when it comes to training he expects certain standards from the lads."
"If he sees something he doesn't like he calls it out. He really has that balance well. I know people spoke that he must have given a rocket (to players at half-time against Croatia), but it was the opposite. Really it was more just saying, ‘if we don't win this game it's not the end of the world’. But he wants us to go out and perform how he knows we can. You saw the reaction after half-time. That speaks volumes of his leadership."
"You can have a relationship with the manager where you feel like you're his friend a lot of the time. He takes the mick out of me a lot so I'm quite happy with that! But also when it comes down to the football, I feel he’s very honest."
