Elliot Anderson was the schoolboy footballer so good his teachers discussed placing a bet on him playing for England.
The bet was never made – but Thomas Tuchel put huge trust in Anderson at the World Cup, and Manchester City are doing the same by signing him for a club record £116m from Nottingham Forest.
Anderson, who began his football journey on the playing fields of Tyneside, is one that painfully got away from Newcastle United but is still revered and respected in his home city as the “quiet and self-effacing” local boy made good.
Magpies boss Eddie Howe called Anderson’s £35m sale to Nottingham Forest in July 2024 “the most reluctant in my career” – a deal effectively forced on the club because they feared they were going to break profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and incur a points deduction following years of imbalanced trading.
The sense of loss only became more acute as the 23-year-old emerged as a central component in England’s World Cup squad, with head coach Tuchel calling him “the full package”.
Loss is also felt by Scotland, who hoped Anderson would play for the country as he has a Scottish grandmother. He was called up for the Euro 2024 qualifier in Cyprus and a friendly with England in September 2023, having represented the Scots at under-21 and junior level, only to pull out through injury before pledging allegiance to England.
The recent attention is all a far cry from the early life of a young Geordie who used to kick a ball around with his elder brothers before emerging as an outstanding young player at Valley Gardens Middle School, and then at the famous Wallsend Boys’ Club, where Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and Michael Carrick honed their trade.
“Elliot was a quiet, self-effacing lad at school,” said Roys. “He came from a great family. They made sure we organised his lessons around time he spent at Newcastle’s academy.
“As head of year you can sometimes deal with kids who might be causing problems but he was never any trouble. He just got on with it. Reports were usually glowing, both from school and Newcastle’s academy.”
It was sport in which Anderson excelled – any sport.
Roys said: “You could see he had something special as a footballer. He had something different when he played other sports as well. He could play with the ball. He was standard size, not a massive lad for his age, but he more than held his own. He was the standout player despite not being the biggest.
“When we had him, he was so good we were saying: ‘Shall we put a bet on him to play for England?’ We didn’t in the end and of course he got into the Scotland set-up first.”
When he won that England call-up before making his debut against Andorra in September 2025, mum Helen said: “It would be a day we would never forget or take for granted. To think our son has walked out there to represent his country would be nothing short of incredible. It will be so emotional.”
Roys was not surprised by his progress, saying: “Elliot was a very hard-working and determined lad. He was very good at athletics, cross country, indoor events – represented the school in cricket. It was football, for him, though. We just put him in midfield as he was our best player, although he actually also even played in goal for us once when we played Wallsend Boys’ Club.”
And Anderson never forgets his roots or an old face, with Roys saying: “I saw him down the local shop a couple of years ago and he said, ‘All right sir’. I just thought, ‘Thanks mate’.
“He a real inspiration to the new generation and everyone is proud of him.”
Anderson, who played 55 times in all competitions for Newcastle United, made his debut in an FA Cup defeat by Arsenal in January 2021 before joining Bristol Rovers on loan a year later.
It was there that he completed a vital part of his education – while also featuring in what might still be the most remarkable match of his career.
Former Republic of Ireland international Glenn Whelan was player-coach at Bristol Rovers, and vividly remembers the impact the confident “but never arrogant” Anderson made in the West Country.
He told BBC Sport: “He just came into the building and showed his potential straight away. Nothing seemed to faze him. You could see straight away this boy was different.
“As the coach, there were certain scenarios in training when I tried to put him under a little pressure. Some kids would be a little bit more reserved and fall back. Elliot was right on the front foot. He took the bull by the horns.”
The date of 5 February 2022 proved significant in Anderson’s development, as Whelan recalled.
“We were away to Sutton United,” he said. “They were doing well and were a proper men’s team with a lot of grit. Some of the coaching team were a little wary of throwing him in against them.
“We were losing at half-time and I basically said, ‘we need to get this lad on because he’s a game-changer’. He came on and made an impact. He won a penalty and we drew. I think he played pretty much every minute after that.”
Anderson’s attitude and determination stood out as he excelled at Bristol Rovers – ending in a dramatic climax to the season.
“He just had a confidence about him to show everyone how good he was,” said Whelan. “It was not arrogance. He’d obviously had a great upbringing from his family and he had that Geordie in him.
“He played off the left wing, but if the ball wasn’t coming to him he would go and look for it. He didn’t care who was marking him. He could take the ball under pressure and make things happen.
“Elliot loved training. He wanted to learn, do the extras. He had the attitude to stay behind and get better. We could tell straight away he was going to be a top player.”
Anderson left Bristol Rovers after one of the greatest days in their history, when they clinched promotion to League One on the final day of the season.
The Pirates started the day needing to better the result of third-placed Northampton or win by five goals more than their rivals. They won 7-0, Anderson getting the final goal with five minutes remaining to help Rovers move into the top three for the first time all season.
Anderson made his triumphant farewell, cheered off by jubilant Rovers supporters.
Anderson’s progress has been so impressive that he was fully focused on the World Cup, even as discussions continued around his move to Manchester City.
City agreed a package worth £116m – though some sources initially suggested the figure was £130m, which would have eclipsed the £125m that took Alexander Isak from Newcastle United to Liverpool last summer.
It was not just Anderson’s England status shaping those discussions – his numbers last season add great value.
Anderson had the most touches in the Premier League (3,300), won possession the most times (306), won the most duels (297) and drew the most fouls (80).
He will now start next season at Manchester City under the leadership of Enzo Maresca.
Whelan has no doubts he will flourish.
“The sky’s the limit,” he said. “I don’t think it will faze him at all. He just loves playing football. I think if he wasn’t playing for Nottingham Forest or England at the World Cup, he’d be playing grassroots with his mates.
“He’s going to be around for a very long time. We see what he’s doing at the World Cup but I think in time the top teams in the Champions League and all over the world will be sitting up to watch this boy play.”
