Newcastle United’s Elliot Anderson has been likened to Phil Foden of Manchester City as the Toon teenager continues to push for a first-team start. The 19-year-old came off the bench in the nil-nil draw with Crystal Palace and gained many plaudits for his performance.
There was some expectation that Anderson would have started against Palace but Toon boss Eddie Howe opted to leave him out of the XI - bringing him on in the 70th minute. In those 20 minutes, Anderson caused Palace plenty of problems and very nearly set up Joe Willock for a later winner.
His direct running and a creative eye has produced comparisons to one of the Premier League’s best midfielders - Man City’s Foden as Chronicle Live’s Newcastle United Editor Aaron Stoke explains.
Speaking on The Everything is Black and White Podcast - he said: “He was brilliant when he came on, really, really dangerous. Wants the ball all the time. He sort of reminds me of Phil Foden in the fact that he always wants the ball. He never ever shies away from it and when he does get it, he’s so good with it as he dances around and makes things happen.”
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After a superb loan spell at Bristol Rovers last season - in which Anderson scored the goal that took the club up to League One - he was named by manager Joey Barton as the Geordie Messi. Despite plenty of interest in him this summer, Newcastle decided to keep him at the club.
Anderson is now getting plenty of minutes under his belt and Stokes feels that he could become an alternative to Allan Saint-Maximin. “He was really dangerous on Saturday,” Stokes added, “Eddie Howe touched on it in his post-game presser that Anderson has been used quite a lot in the centre but really he performed so well out on the left, I think when Maxi is not in that role rather sticking Murphy down the wing, stick Anderson down the left.”
Stokes went on to tip Anderson for a starting role in the Toon XI in the not-too-distant future.
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