Elliot Anderson is one of the most exciting players to come through at Newcastle United for some time.
So many years of Mike Ashley neglect and proper investment banned in the future of the club, meaning that any players who did come through, such as the Longstaff brothers, were despite the underfunded youth set-up at the club, rather than because of it.
Elliot Anderson has excited Newcastle fans in the glimpses of what they have seen, having turned 20 earlier this month, the winger / attacking midfielder hoping to get more time on the pitch.
January 2021 saw Elliot Anderson get his first brief opportunities with Newcastle United, both at the Emirates off the bench, in FA Cup and Premier League matches away against Arsenal.
Those two Steve Bruce defeats were then followed by a 19 months gap before Eddie Howe gave Elliot Anderson his chance, following a very successful loan spell at Bristol Rovers.
Two League Cup starts and 96 minutes over the course of seven Premier League sub appearances, have left Elliot Anderson simply wanting more…
At the very least, with Mike Ashley now consigned to history, the cups are at last targets for Newcastle United once again and at the very least, Elliot Anderson set to see more action in the domestic cups in the coming months. Bournemouth in the League Cup next on 21 December, then the FA Cup third round in early January.
Elliot Anderson talking to the official Newcastle United media:
“It has been my biggest moment (first Premier League home appearance as a sub against Palace in September) so far.
“I think it was Jason Tindall who wanted me to go and warm up on the touchline and then I got told I’d be coming on. I was feeling goosebumps – I can’t really explain it!
“I was playing in front of fans that I was one day and still am.
“I thought I had a really positive impact on that game and I really enjoyed it out there.
“It was definitely a ‘pinch me’ moment.
“It’s hard to control that feeling when you’re out on the pitch as you need to get into the game but I think it did get hold of me once it finished. I was walking around the stadium, applauding the fans, and it just hit me.”
Elliot Anderson on his first ever senior start:
“It was my first competitive start for my boyhood club (at Tranmere in the League Cup), playing in front of the away fans and my family.
“I loved it. I took the opportunity, I really enjoyed the game and that feeling of playing and putting the Newcastle shirt on.
“I think it was the day before in training when I found out I’d be starting – I was straight on the phone to my mum and dad to tell them the news! I was trying to zone in on the feeling of starting and making sure I wasn’t too nervous. It was a great feeling.
“I remember it being a tough game with the way Tranmere played. It’s always going to be difficult going to places like that but we tried to stick to our plan and the whole feeling when Jamaal (Lascelles) and Chris (Wood) scored was great. Obviously, I’d experienced it last season at Bristol (Rovers) but it did feel different with Newcastle.”
Elliot Anderson on his grandfather Geoff Allen, who was part of the Newcastle United side that won the Fairs Cup in 1969:
“It’s been one of my personal aims to try and follow in my grandad’s footsteps.
“He was part of the last Newcastle team to win a trophy and I’m going to try to be part of the next. He got injured quite early on so I want to take his career on further.
“I’d love to be part of a Newcastle team that can do very well in the cup competitions. With the way the club is going at the moment, it’s only going in the right direction and I hope to be a part of it, winning trophies and to progress.
“The manager wants us to try and go very far in the cup competitions so everyone will be doing their best to try and get through to the next round.”
Elliot Anderson on playing under Joey Barton on loan at Bristol Rovers:
“I really enjoyed working under Joey.
“He was a great guy and manager who took me under his wing from the first day I joined and it was a crucial time in my first loan spell.
“Joey used to say to me in the hotel before games there’s no reason why I can’t do it. He’d say that I’m better than him and he was able to do it. He’d tell me little things to make sure I work hard everyday in training and he wanted me to add goals to my game.
“In the first few games, I wasn’t scoring and then I started scoring a lot once the first one went in.”
Elliot Anderson on working under Eddie Howe in summer 2022 pre-season:
“It was a huge pre-season for me.
“I knew that when I was going back into it.
“From the first day, I just thought: ‘I haven’t got much time to try and stay around here, so I’ll do everything I can.’ That’s the mindset I have. I knew I wasn’t going out easy – I had to take it.
“The experiences I had with Bristol developed me both as a person as well as a player. I moved away from home and I came back into pre-season with a lot of confidence coming off the back of a good season.
“Knowing you’ve done well and thinking you almost deserve to be around the team is a better feeling than not really knowing if you’re going to be involved. It lets you crack on with the football and I think that season made me realise that I should be around it (the first-team) and I could push on from here.
“I’ve learnt a lot.
“I’ve seen players come into the club who I used to watch on the telly!
“It’s crazy but after a few days, you’ve just got to get used to it because they are your teammates. You have to act like you’re normal with them but in fact you do look up to them.
“For example, when Trippier scored that free-kick at the World Cup, I was only 15 years old at the time and I would never have imagined playing in the same team as him now! A lot of the lads have helped me a lot, bringing me in and helping me to improve.
“There’s nobody I’d rather work under the gaffer. He helps me every day and I think he’s a great manager so I think I could really improve my game further. In training, the information he gets across to you is really good and you are never doing the same drills. You’re always thinking about things as he’s very big on that side of the game.
“I’m trying to take every minute I have on the pitch and then try to make it a longer time when I’m next on.
“Something I’ve been a bit guilty of is maybe trying too hard when I’ve came on. That’s the tough part of a game, though, when you don’t have too much time.
“I’ve never really doubted myself. Sometimes, when things aren’t going well, you can question yourself a bit if it’s going to happen or not but you’ve got to stick with the process and trust it will come one day.
Elliot Anderson on future ambition:
“I’ve been coming in off the bench but that’s not where I want to be.
“I want to be in the starting XI. I’m still working every week to try and get more minutes and hopefully push my way through to achieve that.
“Coming in every day to train and living in Newcastle is great but I want to be playing more. I’m just missing that one feeling of being involved in the team every week and have that feeling of being a big player.
“I think it will come eventually. I’m still only 20 years old, and hopefully I will get there.”
