'An incredible future' - Anderson relishing England chance

It was a moment Helen and Iain Anderson will never forget.

Their son, Elliot, had just got off the phone with the England manager when he Facetimed his parents last week.

"His face was lit up," mum Helen said following his first senior call-up. "Thomas Tuchel had spoken to him and said he was going to include him.

"We went through all the emotions you can imagine being a parent, knowing he had just received the news he dreamt of and worked so hard for."

The measured Anderson, however, did not want to discuss it any further until the squad was formally announced and he "saw it in black and white".

Confirmation arrived when Anderson least expected it the next morning.

As Anderson and his Nottingham Forest team-mates were watching the Europa League draw in the gym, an image of the midfielder alongside the words "call up" flashed up on the screen to loud cheers.

Anderson is now in line to potentially make his England debut against Andorra in front of his proud family at Villa Park on Saturday.

"It would be a day we would never forget or take for granted," his mum said of that prospect. "To think our son has walked out there to represent his country would be nothing short of incredible. It will be so emotional."

Some had called it long ago.

In fact, such was Anderson's promise, one or two of his former teachers at Valley Gardens Middle School even considered placing a bet on him playing for England one day.

Anderson always had talent - a former team-mate still has his number saved as 'wonderkid' in his contacts - but the 22-year-old has gone on to quietly prove he can do both sides of the game at Forest.

On the ball, Anderson has made more line-breaking passes than any other midfielder so far in the Premier League this season (32), including a superb assist for Chris Wood in his side's opening day win against Brentford.

Out of possession, meanwhile, Anderson ranked second for duels won (242), third for possession won (207) and fifth for tackles (92) among players in his position in the top-flight last year.

No wonder Tuchel hailed Anderson as a "good package" after he helped England under-21s retain their European title a couple of months ago.

Anderson, who featured in every game, was named in the team of the tournament at the Euros and under-21s manager Lee Carsley "really enjoyed working with him".

"He's very committed to his preparation and doing well," Carsley said. "I know how desperate he is to play for England.

"He made that really clear in all the conversations that we had. We constantly spoke about putting him in a position where he was selectable and he's done that with his determination, commitment and confidence.

"He's got so many attributes. He's physically very good, technically he's excellent but, more importantly, his mentality to be a top player is what has put him in this position and he should be really proud of what he's doing."

It could have been very different, of course.

Anderson, who has a Scottish grandmother, previously represented the Tartan Army through the age groups and was even handed a senior call-up in 2023.

But Ben Dawson, who was Newcastle's first-team development coach at the time, also recalled how determined Anderson was to play for the Three Lions.

"I remember having discussions with Elliot, saying Scotland could be a great opportunity to play European Championship games and World Cup qualifiers, but he was adamant that he would play for England," Dawson said.

"I told him recently that I was really pleased he backed himself and stood by his decision to prove that he was good enough because, at the time, I was of the opinion that it was a big call and he could potentially miss out on an international career, but he's always backed himself to be good enough at the top level."

That mentality was just one of the many reasons why Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe did not want to lose Anderson last summer.

Anderson was on holiday in Portugal with his family when Howe phoned him to explain Newcastle's dire situation at the time.

If Newcastle did not raise funds quickly, through the sales of Anderson to Nottingham Forest and Yankuba Minteh to Brighton, the club were going to breach profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and incur a points deduction following years of imbalanced trading.

Anderson did not become embittered following his exit, though. Far from it.

He was at Wembley just nine months later to watch his former team-mates win the Carabao Cup and end Newcastle's long wait for silverware.

The Geordie, whose grandfather, Geoff Allen, also played for the club, even gave Anthony Elanga a glowing reference about Newcastle before his team-mate left Forest.

Anderson made the move in reverse, but those closest to the midfielder "couldn't have wished for a better club for him to be sold to" - even if it was a wrench to leave at first following 14 years at Newcastle.

"Elliot was, for a time, very disappointed to be sold," said his mum. "It was a unique situation that he had not had any pre-warning about nor had he asked for the move.

"He could have really let it all affect him in a negative way. Leaving your club for good - it's not a loan where you know you will be back. It's a new club, a new city and a new home, but he turned it all into a huge positive and got the opportunity to show everyone his capabilities."

Even Anderson was the first to recognise he "probably wouldn't" be in the England squad if he had not made the move.

He faced intense competition at Newcastle, where Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton have formed a formidable trio in the middle of the park.

But he quickly established himself at Forest.

Harry Toffolo, who helped Anderson settle in at the City Ground, said his former team-mate "took everything in his stride" as he helped Forest challenge for a Champions League place last season.

"Moving is difficult for a player coming from his hometown club," he said. "But you could see Elliot's maturity and his love for the game when he first came in at Forest. He made an instant impact and thoroughly deserves all the plaudits he's getting now because he's elevated the team to another level.

"I was lucky enough to train with him and play with him. I could see the effort he put in day in, day out and the extra work he was doing, so I'm not surprised at all. He's got an incredible future ahead of him."

Forest are reaping the benefits, but Anderson's legacy is still being felt on Tyneside.

A meeting room at Newcastle's academy, which looks out on to the first-team pitches, is even named after Anderson and serves as a daily reminder of his journey to the next generation.

This is a player who has earned England recognition "through hard work, resilience and a consistently excellent attitude" in the words of Newcastle's academy director Steve Harper.

"Every member of staff who worked with him here says the same - he was a joy to coach," he said. "His availability was always high, he was robust, intelligent in and out of possession and these skills are what helped him transition from academy football into a first-team environment.

"His journey is a brilliant example of our homegrown pathway. He's come through the academy, made his Premier League debut for his boyhood club and now he's representing England. That's powerful for the young players coming through. They see it's possible and they see what it takes."