Newcastle were almost forced to sign Elliott Anderson in late summer 2024, but the midfielder has excelled since then and Alan Shearer was happy with the move.
Alan Shearer admits he is ‘delighted’ with Elliott Anderson’s career taking off since he chose to leave Newcastle for Nottingham Forest.
The midfielder spent his career at St James’ Park but was released last summer as the Magpies needed to play within PSR regulations. Anderson at the time was blessed with young talent, but there were many senior names at the top.
Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton were among the club’s options, and although he became a player, Shearer admitted he never intended to play regularly in front of them. Heading to Nottingham gave Anderson the time he needed to develop further.
The 23-year-old is now a regular in England and has been linked with a big-money move to Manchester United, one of the Premier League’s leading sides. Ruben Amorim is targeting a new central midfielder and Andersson ticks many of the boxes.
Mr. Shearer was ultimately satisfied that Mr. Anderson acted on his principles and insisted it was the right thing to do for his career. He told the Rest Is Football podcast: “It was a great thing to happen. But it was a tough game for Newcastle and it wouldn’t have happened without PSR.”
“But the best thing that happened to him was to go out and play. He wasn’t going to be in Newcastle’s midfield. You have to give him credit. He won’t be far away[into Newcastle’s midfield]right now. I agree with that.”
“He wouldn’t have been able to do what he did at Newcastle. It’s been good for him. I’m happy for him. He went from being a bit-part player at Newcastle to one of Forest’s main players and one of England’s main players.”
Newcastle had to tread carefully when it came to PSR, which meant they were forced to sell Anderson, as well as the highly-rated Yankuba Minte, who headed to Brighton and also impressed.
Howe has admitted he would like to bring Anderson back to Newcastle, but if the player wishes to leave the City Ground, that could become a viable option in the future. The Old Trafford players will have stiff competition for his signature and are likely to beat Newcastle for Benjamin Sesco in the summer, but Anderson has emotional ties to the North East.
The Magpies manager lamented the situation in which his club almost fell into a corner. He said: “It’s a real shame that players from the academy who have contributed so much here, and who have contributed so much to the club and the coaching staff and the hard work that has been done here over the years and how people have tried to develop their talent, are not going to be utilized here.”
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