Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson was spotted jubilantly celebrating with Newcastle fans in the stands as the Magpies clinched the Carabao Cup for their first major domestic trophy in 70 years. The Magpies edged out Liverpool with a 2-1 victory at Wembley to ignite ecstasy among Toon supporters alongside whom Anderson savoured the historic moment. A dedicated Newcastle supporter since childhood, nderson joined the club's ranks at just eight and followed in his grandfather Geoff Allen's footsteps - a 1960s era player for the team whose career was tragically shortened by injury. But Anderson left Newcastle to join Forest last summer.
The 22-year-old midfielder's exit was a strategic move by Newcastle to remain compliant with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules. Despite his switch of sides, Anderson couldn't contain his joy for Newcastle's Carabao Cup success and was spotted signalling appreciatively toward manager Eddie Howe, assistant Jason Tindall and keeper Nick Pope during the post-match festivities. The trio of Howe, Tindall, and Pope acknowledged Anderson's presence within the crowd, reciprocating his celebratory gestures.
Howe, reflecting on the sale of Anderson earlier this year, expressed regret over having to let him go considering the dire financial implications: "The last thing we want to do, or I want to do as the manager of the club, is to sell academy products who have the potential to play for this team for many years.
"Elliot was a case in point - it was the last sale we wanted to make. We knew his qualities and he had just broken into the team towards the back end of last season. He had performed really well in a variety of roles for us.
"But we were faced with literally no other option in that moment with 48 hours to go, we had to make a decision that we did not want to make. It will always be our last choice to do that. But, when you add up everything together and you go, 'Well, it's a points deduction and breaching PSR or making a sale, I think you have to make the sale'."
Although Anderson may have been absent from Newcastle's Carabao Cup glory, he's thriving in his first term at Forest. With Forest poised at third in the Premier League, they're on track for Champions League action next season.
This story originally appeared on the Daily Mirror