Geordie star Elliot Anderson once gazed down from Level 7 of the Leazes End in admiration of Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa as a kid and dreamt that one day he would get the chance to run out on the hallowed turf at St James' Park.
A Meteoric Rise
Now he is set for a key role at this summer's World Cup with England, and could be set for a £130m move to Manchester City after a whirlwind rise. The 23-year-old left Newcastle in a rushed transfer deal in 2024, after making a big impression for his boyhood club. However, with United needing to sell to avoid PSR issue, Anderson left for Nottingham Forest in a deal which did not include any future sell-on clauses.
Early Days at Newcastle
Anderson was just 16-years-old when he sprinted on to the field for United's Under 21s against Swansea reserve in 2019, and ever since there was exciting talk about his future. Back then, he told the Chronicle Live: "I was a supporter of the team as a kid. I watched players like Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa and Peter Lovenkrands."
He added: "I used to watch from right at the top of Level 7 so it is quite surreal to be around the place now. I just continue to work hard though."
First Competitive Goal
His first goal came in a dead rubber group match in the EFL Trophy against Port Vale in front of just 23 travelling United fans, but for Anderson, it was a huge moment. "I'm buzzing to score my first competitive goal for Newcastle," he said back in 2019. "But the lads did well overall, we came out against a League Two side and put in a good performance. It was nice to score."
"It was great to play up to Jamie Sterry, he managed to put in a good ball and I got on the end of it. I am happy. I did well in the first half then came out in the second which was good for my confidence. I'm happy to be doing it for my hometown team."
"It was a good moment for me but I will work hard and continue. It has been a busy time for me. I was really happy to get my contract, I worked really hard for it. It's good that I can play for Newcastle. I've been at the club since the Under-9 category and came right through the process."
Career Takes Off at Forest
Anderson went on to make 55 appearances for United, but it has been at the City Ground where his career really took off. He has now clocked up 92 games for Forest, scoring six goals, and earning a place in Thomas Tuchel's England squad, where he is expected to start alongside Declan Rice in the midfield when they get their campaign under way against Croatia on June 17.
