Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson helped England under-21s reach the last four of the European Championships last night with a 3-1 win over Spain.
Lee Carsley dropped a hint regarding Anderson after the win, following the surprise when he was left out of the starting eleven for the quarter-final clash.
The Forest and England under-21s number eight enjoyed a brilliant campaign during 2024/25 as he showcased how foolish Newcastle were to cash in on him last summer.
Anderson impressed Forest fans last night despite playing for 40 minutes of the contest against the Spaniards; he managed to produce a truly wonderful performance capped with a goal from the penalty spot.
Spain v England - UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2025 Quarter-Final
Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images
It was another brilliant performance from Anderson, who clearly showed no signs of his confidence taking a hit after being dropped from the starting eleven for the game.
Anderson came on with a bit of a point to prove and managed to highlight why Carsley will likely pick him when England face the Netherlands this week in the last four.
Goal gave Anderson an 8/10 and said: “He was neat and tidy when he was introduced into the action in the second half. Took his penalty with ease, too.”
Anderson was brilliant for Forest last season and he will now hope to kick on further and get himself a full England cap in the next 12 months.
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Elliot Anderson stats vs Spain
The Netherlands will provide England’s youngsters with a stern test when they meet each other later in the week but Anderson has now sampled big games for his club.
After breaking into the Forest team just a month into the campaign, he grasped the opportunity with both hands and became one of Nuno Espirito Santo’s most important players.
Elliot Anderson stats vs Spain Total
Minutes 39
Accurate Passes 77%
Ground Duels Won 6
Tackles 3
Clearances 2
Anderson should develop into a seriously talented footballer in the coming years and thankfully, Forest got him tied down ahead of his best years when they landed him from Newcastle.
It’s very exciting to see how Anderson could develop in the future and it feels as though the club have got the number eight position sorted for many years with the £35 million player.