Elliot Anderson has returned to Newcastle United following his outrageously successful loan spell with Bristol Rovers and is eligible to play in the Premier League over the final two games of the season.
The Newcastle Chronicle reports that the 19-year-old is a genuine midfield option for Eddie Howe following injuries to Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock, ruling them out for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.
Newcastle play Arsenal and Burnley and after relegation fears were eased several weeks ago, can finish as high as ninth. But Howe's midfield options are thin, as evidenced by the decision to call up 18-year-old Jay Turner-Cooke to the travelling squad against Manchester City on Sunday.
Turner-Cooke didn't make the matchday 18 but was part of the warm-up and with Anderson now returning to the north east, he's arguably further down the development path than his academy colleague, potentially setting himself for a top-flight appearance having made his Premier League debut last season as a late substitute in a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal.
Anderson scored the crucial seventh in a stunning 7-0 victory for Rovers over Scunthorpe United on Saturday that catapulted them into League One. It was the Geordie's seventh goal of a hugely profitable loan spell that also produced six assists.
The 19-year-old arrived on transfer deadline day in January after a move for Fleetwood Town's Callum Camps was blocked by the League One club and after impressing with a cameo at Sutton United, Anderson quickly became a starter to the left of Joey Barton's three-man attacking midfield unit.
Of the 21 games since he became a temporary Rovers player, Anderson started 20 and completed 90 minutes in 16 of them, emphasising his importance to the Gas.
Anderson impressed with his goal and assist output, but also his dribbling ability, creativity, work rate, body strength and how he was able to constantly influence a game, despite having precious senior experience. The expectation is now for Howe to have a good look at him over pre-season before deciding whether he's ready to make the first-team set-up in 2022/23.
Rovers would, obviously, dearly love to be able to bring him back to the Mem for another season on loan but with more than five Championship clubs keeping regular checks on him during his five months in BS7, the likelihood that even with the Gas' elevated league status, if he is to be hired out again, it would be to the second tier.
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