Former Newcastle United player Elliot Anderson put in a brilliant performance on debut for England in their 2-0 win against Andorra.
While he may not be part of the club anymore, fans still hold the 22-year-old in the highest regard.
Elliot Anderson reluctantly left Newcastle United in June 2024, with the £35m deal with Nottingham Forest a catalyst for the Magpies’ heavy spending in previous transfer windows, putting them in a poor position with PSR.
Since joining Forest, Anderson has established himself as a key member of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, and was rewarded with a call-up to the England squad by Thomas Tuchel for games against Andorra and Serbia.
By making his debut on Saturday evening, Anderson became the sixth Wallsend Boys Club graduate to play for the Three Lions.
With the midfielder in line to play against Serbia on Tuesday, Forest have been given a stern reality check about their midfielder.
Elliot Anderson with the ball during an international game between England and Andorra.
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Nottingham Forest could struggle to keep Elliot Anderson after his England debut
Eddie Howe was gutted when he sold Anderson alongside winger Yankuba Minteh, who has made positive strides at Brighton in his own right.
However, a promising young player from the North East like Anderson comes around very infrequently, so fans have been left wondering what he could have done had he stayed on at Newcastle this season.
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It is clear after his positive season that there will be more eyes on him from elsewhere, and sentiment is felt by TalkSPORT’s Forest reporter Max Scott.
“Forest are gonna have a job on their hands keeping him,” he said.
“Because buying him for £35m seemed at the time as a bit of PSR jiggerypokery.
“I think Forest’s gain is certainly Newcastle’s loss. The fact that they have to lose one of their very own just in order to comply (with PSR) is a saddened eye situation, but it’s very good for Forest.
“And I think the game time and working under Nuno, of course, we know defensively he’s really astute.
“I think we’ve seen rub off on Elliot Anderson’s game, and I think he’s exactly what England need in that role.”
Could Newcastle United re-sign Elliot Anderson?
In theory, yes, Newcastle can re-sign Anderson as early as this January. However, they will need to pay significantly more than they sold him for after his brilliant form.
Newcastle fans want Howe to bring Anderson back, but it is clear that a very high transfer fee, perhaps even over the club record, would be needed.
It was reported earlier in 2025 that Newcastle do not have a buy-back clause for Anderson, a rare mistake from Howe and his recruitment team. The same applies to Minteh, but the need for a new right winger has been suppressed following the arrival of Anthony Elanga and the great form of Jacob Murphy last season.
Perhaps one day in years down the line, Anderson could make a triumphant return to his boyhood club, but for now, Howe must leave himself wondering how the club’s PSR issues got so bad that they had to sell someone of his quality.
For now, Newcastle fans can enjoy new signing Jacob Ramsey, who has a lot of hype around him after making a £43m move to Tyneside.