The clever business continues for Newcastle United as the North East giants announced the extended stay of young midfielder Elliot Anderson. Known as the “richest team in the world,” most football fans were expecting Newcastle United to transform their squad with the arrival of several elite players from Europe’s top leagues.
That has been the case with a few big name signings in January and over the summer, but the Magpies’ latest business highlights the desire of those in charge to also promote and support local talent within their ranks. Sean Longstaff made the most of his first team promotion when Rafa Benitez was on Tyneside, and Elliot Anderson has followed suit under Eddie Howe.
In the club’s announcement of Anderson’s contract extension, the midfielder has been described as a “natural talent” by the Newcastle United manager, and his comments were followed up with more praise from sporting director Dan Ashworth as he went on to claim, “Elliot has shown he has the attributes to have a successful career at this level.”
There is plenty of room for Anderson to grow and further develop his overall game in the top tier of English football, but fans are already excited by what they have seen this season. Anderson has only made three appearances for Newcastle United this term – all off the bench for a total of 58 minutes including stoppage time – and he has provided a spark in each appearance despite his late substitutions.
Newcastle United have a rising star on their hands in youngster Elliot Anderson.
So, from a fan’s perspective, what makes Anderson such an exciting prospect for the Magpies? For starters, the composure Anderson has with the ball at his feet is reflective of a Premier League veteran and not a 19-year-old who was just promoted from the academy.
Secondly, his awareness off the ball, on both ends of the pitch, has been noted against Wolves, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace. The youngster’s ability to find open lanes to receive the ball in the final third is winning fans over, and his knowledge to provide cover deep in midfield shows that he has been learning a few things from Joelinton in training.
The most impressive attribute that Anderson brings to this squad though is his versatility. Traditionally, the young talent plays in a more central attacking role, and he was effective in that position with meaningful chances against Wolves and Liverpool. However, Anderson was given an opportunity to showcase his skills as a winger late in the Crystal Palace game and his delivery of balls in the box put the Eagles under constant pressure.
Howe and the coaching staff have a promising player at their disposal, and it will be interesting to see how Anderson will be utilized in upcoming matches, especially after his strong display out of position against Crystal Palace a few weeks ago.