Newcastle United were forced to sell Elliot Anderson to comply with PSR. (Photo credit: Getty Images)placeholder image
Newcastle United were forced to sell Elliot Anderson to comply with PSR. (Photo credit: Getty Images) | Getty Images
England v Andorra: Newcastle United defender Dan Burn has been named in Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up at Villa Park.
England will be looking to strengthen their position at the top of their World Cup qualifying group with a win over Andorra at Villa Park ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Serbia.
Burn has been named in the England starting line-up for his third Three Lions cap as he looks to consolidate his place in Tuchel’s squad ahead of the potential trip to North America for next summer’s World Cup.
Magpies duo Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon have been named on the substitutes bench while former Newcastle academy player and current Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson has been named in the starting line-up for his England debut.
Anderson’s selection and official cap will bring an end to a national tug of war between England and Scotland for the Geordie midfielder.
The 22-year-old represented Scotland from Under-16s to Under-21s level and was even called up to the senior squad before withdrawing to keep his options of a potential England call-up open.
After joining Nottingham Forest from Newcastle for £35million last summer, Anderson has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best young English midfielders. He was then drafted into the England Under-21s squad that ended up winning the European Championships over the summer.
And Anderson’s U-turn decision regarding his international allegiance looks to have paid off as he has been rewarded with his first senior call-up and cap.
Elliot Anderson reflects on England call-up after Newcastle United move
Anderson went from a squad player at Newcastle to a regular starter at Forest and admitted he probably wouldn’t have made it into the England squad as soon as he has had not left his boyhood club.
Anderson also spoke about his pride of representing the North East and his former youth side Wallsend Boys Club on the international stage.
“I am very proud,” Anderson said. “It’s a top boys club up in the North East and I think you can see all the professional footballers who have come through Wallsend.
The Gazette has launched a new WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone.Simply click this linkto join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.
“For a while there hasn’t really been another player to make England, it’s a really proud moment and I’m just hoping I get that cap.”
“It was sort of a tough move [to leave Newcastle] at the time, but I think ultimately I probably wouldn’t be sitting here now if I didn’t make the move.
“I think sometimes you’ve got to 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. I don’t think I would be in this position now if I didn’t do it.”
Anderson is one of four North East natives in the current England squad. He and Burn are of a Newcastle persuasion, while Jordan Henderson and Jordan Pickford hail from Sunderland.
Continue Reading