Newcastle United reluctantly sold Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest last year due to PSR restrictions.
Elliot Anderson will become Newcastle United’s first academy graduate to play for England since 2016 if he makes his senior debut tomorrow night.
Not since Fraser Forster almost 10 years ago have the Magpies had one of their own represent England on the big stage. While several Newcastle players, like Kieran Trippier, Lewis Hall, Tino Livramento, Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope, have played for the Three Lions, none hail from the club’s youth system.
Academies across the country take pride in how many stars they can produce for the national team. In that time, Sunderland, for example, have seen Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford - more established players than Forster - towards England stardom.
PSR reminder
It is perhaps another damning PSR reminder should Anderson deservedly make his Three Lions bow this weekend. Newcastle were forced to offload their finest youth product in a generation last year to comply with financial rules.
PSR has become a point of frustration for the Magpies since the Saudi-backed takeover. Despite having the world’s wealthiest owners, PIF are unable to fully unleash their wealth on the Premier League.
That was illustrated again on Monday when Newcastle sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool. In a non-PSR world, the Magpies would have been able to financially blow any team out of the water with a lucrative new contract.
Elliot Anderson open up about Newcastle United move
Reflecting on his Toon exit, Anderson insisted he would “probably not” be on the cusp of an England cap if he stayed at St James’ Park. He said at a press conference: “It was sort of a tough move at the time, but I think ultimately, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now if I didn’t make the move.
“So, I think sometimes you’ve got to sort of step out of your comfort zone and believe in yourself, which is sort of what I’ve done. I believed I was ready to go and play in the Premier League every week. So yeah, as I say, I don’t think I would be in this position now if I didn’t do it.”
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‘A proud moment’ - Elliot Anderson
“It’s a really proud moment for me and my family which I’m really happy about,” Anderson added. “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.
“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. I think I’ve done over the last season and the (under-21) Euros.”
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