New 25/26 Third Kit
New 25/26 Third Kit
Anderson discusses pride at England call
Midfielder speaking after joining the squad this week
Forest have two players in Three Lions squad for the first time since 1996
Elliot Anderson spoke of his pride after being named in the Senior Men’s England squad for the first time ahead of the Three Lions’ FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.
The Forest midfielder received his maiden senior international call-up after helping England Under-21s to European Championship title in the summer, before helping Forest to four points from our first two Premier League fixtures of the current campaign.
The 22-year-old was named in the squad alongside Morgan Gibbs-White, with two Reds representing the Three Lions in the same squad for the first time since 1996.
Speaking to the media after joining up with the squad this week, Anderson spoke of the privilege of being in the squad, how the call-up came about and appearing alongside his club mate for his nation.
“I’ve been working towards it for a while and it made me more determined to get into the team and perform at club level which I think I’ve done over the last season and the Euros.
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“It’s a really proud moment for me and my family which I’m really happy about.
“The level of players around England is very high so just to be talked about within this group is really positive.
“There’s a lot of the lads from the previous Euros in the squad now which shows that pathway to progress to the first team and I know a lot of the lads.
“It’s helped make the transition smoother and feel more at home.
“There are some top players in this position so it’s a privilege to be called up to play here. It’s good to be competing with these players and it’ll only bring out the best in my game."
Anderson joined Forest from his boyhood club, Newcastle United last summer, before enjoying an outstanding debut campaign at the City Ground. He admitted the move was a challenge, but one he is reaping the rewards from.
“It was a tough move at the time, but I wouldn’t be sat here now if I didn’t make the move. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and believe in yourself, which is what I’ve done.
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“I first heard from him (Thomas Tuchel) after the Crystal Palace match and he told me what he likes in me and that I might get a call-up. I was over the moon with that and I got the call on the Friday morning that I was going to be included, so I went out to training with a smile on my face.
The 22-year-old could line-up alongside his Forest teammate Gibbs-White for the Three Lions. The Forest maestro admitted a familiar face in the squad has helped him settle in.
“Morgan’s my good friend from Forest and he has really helped me settle in and helped me around the camp. It’s a good thing when you already have a friend here.”