Bristol Rovers have signed "one of the jewels of Newcastle United's academy" in Elliot Anderson.
That is the view of Ciaran Kelly, Magpies reporter for the Newcastle Chronicle, after the Gas moved to sign 19-year-old Anderson on loan on transfer deadline day.
The attacking midfielder became Rovers' third signing of the January window, with free agent midfielder Jon Nolan following a day later as Joey Barton bolstered his options in the centre of the pitch.
To get the lowdown on the Newcastle starlet, we put a series of questions to Ciaran on what Gasheads can expect from a highly-rated teenager who is very much in Eddie Howe's thoughts.
What is your verdict on Rovers' transfer window? Have your say in the comments section below...
What sort of player are Bristol Rovers getting in Elliot Anderson?
Anderson is a really gifted number 10 – tall, skilful and brave – but what I like the most about him is his mentality.
Rather than patting himself on the back after making his first-team debut at Arsenal last season, the first thought on his mind was how he should have scored after having a decent chance to win the cup tie for his boyhood club.
That sums him up, really. You would not think he is only 19.
What are his strengths and weaknesses?
Anderson just loves to get on the ball and beat a defender. Rather than giving the ball away, he has a knack of getting out of really tight situations with his deft touches and body feints, and he has definitely worked on his upper body strength.
Even when he is fouled, Anderson just wants to get up straight away and get on the ball so that bodes well for some of the challenges he will face in League Two.
He's had a tough year with injuries – a hip issue proved particularly problematic last summer – but he will have hoped to have put those behind him once and for all now.
From what he has shown in the U23s and his limited outings in the first team, is he prepared to cope with the physical demands of the lower reaches of the EFL?
This is a side of the game Anderson relishes. I watched him play against Harrogate Town in the Papa John's Trophy earlier this season and, clearly, they had been well briefed about him.
Whenever he got the ball, he was swarmed by yellow shirts and he had to contend with some rough treatment that night.
But he isn't a waif by any means and he's skilful enough and strong enough to cope with that.
There was one occasion against Harrogate where he even wriggled free of his marker and fired an effort from distance, which went just over the bar.
What is his standing at Newcastle? Is he in the thoughts of Eddie Howe as a potential member of the first team in future?
Anderson is one of the jewels of the academy and, it was only a year or so ago that he was making his Premier League debut at the Emirates after playing in the FA Cup against Arsenal just a few days previously.
Allan Saint-Maximin is a big fan and has repeatedly called Anderson a 'crack', which is an affectionate term for a skilful player.
Eddie Howe and his staff also rate Anderson highly – tellingly he has continued to train with the first team and even made the bench on occasion – and they will certainly be keeping tabs on him at Bristol Rovers.
Anderson was linked with Championship and League One clubs ahead of deadline day? Is there a sense of surprise that he has landed in League Two for the rest of the season?
Yes and no. Newcastle have previously sent talented youngsters on loan to Championship and League One clubs in the past few years who have just not got a chance despite the assurances that were offered.
Elliot simply needs first-team football as part of his development - that has been the case for some time now - so it is crucial that he gets that in his first spell away from the club.
Do not underestimate Joey Barton's influence, particularly as a former team-mate of loan manager Shola Ameobi and academy boss Steve Harper.
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