For a club with seemingly limitless wealth, it’s extremely refreshing to see Newcastle reaching out to a local who has been at the club since he was eight.
Elliot Anderson’s potential is no secret – he was even compared to Diego Maradona by Joey Barton while on loan at Bristol Rovers last season – but during Friday’s win at Nottingham Forest there were tantalizing signs that he could can exploit.
After replacing Allan Saint-Maximin in the second half, Anderson was a constant threat. He startled defenders with his pace and saw a great volley that was overplayed by Keylor Navas.
He was unlucky that a nice header was ruled out by a marginal VAR call on Sean Longstaff, meaning the 20-year-old is still awaiting his first Premier League goal.
Anderson has been plagued by injuries throughout his young career but if he can put those issues behind him the future looks bright.
Newcastle star Elliot Anderson thought he had scored his first goal for the club on Friday
The 20-year-old scored a bouncing header in the second half before VAR ruled it out for offside
Eddie Howe insisted Anderson “repayed” the trust placed in him against Forest.
“Allan Saint-Maximin was struggling with a tight hamstring so I decided to go with Elliot and he reciprocated,” revealed Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. “He did really well.
“With the quality of our squad, it will never be easy to get in. You can play well in youth football and look like an outstanding talent, but breaking through to the Premier League is incredibly difficult.
“We’re a top team with top players in his position, so he’s struggling to make that breakthrough. This is the most difficult part of his Newcastle career. Can he take that next step consistently? He certainly didn’t harm Forest.
“His best position at the moment is outside but maybe in the future he will play more central. This versatility is enormous for us at the moment.”
Anderson picked up a huge pay raise when he signed a long-term contract at St James’ Park last September after excelling at Bristol Rovers, scoring eight times in 21 games to see Barton’s men promoted to League One to help.
Barton doesn’t shy away from an outlandish remark, nor does he give praise easily, so it’s worth reconsidering his assessment of Anderson last March.
He said: “I’ve been listening to recordings of [former Liverpool boss] Bill Shankley. He talked a lot about a 19-year-old Diego Maradona and how he slows down in the box just like Elliot Anderson does.
Anderson solemnly drove off to the fans who had arrived at the City Ground
Bristol Rovers manager and former Magpie Joey Barton was full of praise for Anderson
“Elliot is such a talent. He excites you. He’s a great player. Great future ahead.’
Anderson certainly has the pedigree. He took his first steps at Wallsend Boys Club, whose former players have included Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and Michael Carrick, and has represented both England and Scotland at youth level.
He was capped by the Scotland U21s. If he continues to improve, the time will soon come when he will have to make a decision about his international future.
Now Newcastle are such a financial powerhouse that players like Anderson become even more important. Fans love a hometown hero. If Anderson can continue to build on his Forest display, maybe he will become one.
