Elliot Anderson's football journey took an intriguing turn when he was on the brink of representing Scotland in August 2023.
However, an apparent injury forced the Whitely Bay-born starlet to withdraw from Steve Clarke's senior squad after one training session. Fast forward a year, and the talented midfielder has chosen to don the England Under-21 jersey, marking a significant decision in his career.
This week, Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe revealed his reluctance to part with Anderson, who was sold to Nottingham Forest for a reported £35million during the summer transfer window.
As the two teams prepare to clash at The City Ground this weekend, Anderson has already made a substantial impact at Forest, helping them secure a position in the English Premier League's top three, just six points behind leaders Liverpool.
Anderson's transfer was part of Newcastle's strategy to meet profitability and sustainability regulations, but Howe made it clear that he valued the former Scotland youth internationalist and would have preferred to keep him at St. James' Park.
“Elliot was a sale we didn’t want to make,” Howe told reporters ahead of Sunday's meeting. “Nobody at the football club internally wanted to make that sale but we had to.
“I think that one is a very unusual place because I think that will be happening again, not just here but at other clubs where you’re selling players for financial reasons.
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“I don’t think it’s something that has really been done a lot in the history of the game unless you’re under financial restrictions where you have to sell. A club that has financial backing but has to sell because of the rules, that’s a new one.
“I think I’ve said before I don’t understand that rationale – why we’re in a position that you’re incentivised to sell academy products.
“I don’t necessarily think they started with that intention of forcing teams to make those decisions.
“So for us to put all the work into Elliot, the academy, the coaches, the time, to then see him leave and now flourish for another Premier League club isn’t something I think we should be in a position to do.
“It should be more of a level field, you can sell players and have the same effect that it was with Elliot. Of course it was all profit for us, his sale, that’s why we were incentivised to sell him.”
