England trying to snatch Newcastle star Elliot Anderson away from Scotland

Sep 11, 2023 at 5:10 AM

Elliot Anderson stays on the England radar after he pulled out of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad this week. The Whitley Bay-born 20-year-old qualifies for Scotland by his father’s mom, who was born in Glasgow.

The Newcastle midfielder has performed for Scotland in any respect the age-group ranges from under-16 up. However, he has withdrawn from quite a few current Scotland under-21 squads to maintain his choices open having represented England under-21 in an unofficial pleasant towards the Arsenal under-23 facet in March 2022.

This month, although, Clarke gave him his first call-up to the senior squad and although Anderson accepted his place, he subsequently withdrew with a hamstring damage. It leaves Southgate keen to search out out what the scenario goes ahead with the FA technical director John McDermott scorching on the case.

“We liked him and we do like him,” Southgate stated. “He’s a player that’s doing really well. Obviously, he was called into their squad earlier in the week and I don’t know what the position is at the moment.

“I saw he’s pulled out. Let’s see – that’s something that John and others at our organisation will be picking up. He’s definitely a player we like.”

Southgate performed down solutions that Ireland’s Evan Ferguson can be nonetheless on the radar. “I think he’s played too many games at senior level,” he stated of Brighton’s Irish worldwide striker who was born in Bettystown however has an English mom.

“He’s got eight caps now. I’m not exactly sure on whether he definitely can’t, but I think he’s made it very clear he feels he was born in Ireland and he’s represented them and I would 100 per cent back that. He’s a bloody good player.

“We have to respect him, I don’t think he’s given any inkling that would be any different. At the same time, we were looking at Yorksire-born Erling Haaland and wishing that he might have been available as well. But we’ve got a pretty good number nine [Harry Kane] and we’re very happy with him.”