Elliot Anderson has made his England debut, and he has been receiving praise from all over the football world.
Thomas Tuchel and Reece James praised Anderson after the match, and the manager hinted he could start against Serbia on Tuesday.
Noni Madueke also jumped in on the compliments for Anderson, and said the player seemingly fitted into the setup
Now, the English media have given their verdict on the Nottingham Forest man’s international debut.
Elliot Anderson on the ball for England against Andorra
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
It looked like Elliot Anderson had been playing in the England side for years when he stepped out at Villa Park on Saturday.
The Forest man was awarded man of the match, and England fans loved what they saw from Anderson. Fans were not the only ones though, as the national media heaped praise onto the player as well.
The BBC gave him a 7.5/10, and said ‘A really solid debut for the Nottingham Forest midfielder. Comfortable taking the ball in possession and marshalling the space in front of the England back four.
‘Looked like he had been playing that role for his country for a long time. Had a big chance to score but didn’t connect with his shot. Not really tested defensively but a very good start to international football.’
Elliot Anderson singing England national anthem alongside Marc Guehi and Reece James
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
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The Guardian gave him a slightly lower 7/10 but were still positive in their words, ‘It was only Andorra but this was a decent debut. The 22-year-old offered positive passing, awareness and pressing in the problem No 6 role.’
GOAL gave him the highest rating of 8/10 and said, ‘A hugely impressive debut, picking up where he left off during England’s victorious run at the Under-21 Euros.
‘Took the ball from defence into the final third with speed and class as he staked his claim to be Rice’s long-term partner. It was just a shame he failed to score from a simple chance. Then again, you can’t have it all.’
If what the English media are saying is anything to go by then you can expect a lot more England caps for Elliot Anderson over the coming years.
Serbia will be a bigger test for Elliot Anderson
While it was an impressive debut, the Guardian’s comment, ‘It was only Andorra,’ does hold some truth.
The small nation are ranked 174th in the FIFA world rankings, and have just one win in their last 25 matches. This win came against San Marino.
Serbia, on the other hand, are ranked 32nd, and their players have much more quality than Andorra. The Serbs are a physical team, and it will present a different challenge for Anderson.
The midfielder will already know about the physical strengths of the opposition, having played alongside Nikola Milenkovic over the last year, and the two are likely to face each other on Tuesday.
Forest fans will have no doubt that Anderson is capable of producing the same, if not more, when England travel to Belgrade.