Gareth Southgate said that he still hopes to convince Elliot Anderson that he should commit his international future to England.
The Newcastle United midfielder, 20, has been capped at youth level for Scotland and England and was due to make his senior debut for Scotland against Cyprus in their European Championship qualifying match on Friday. However, after first linking up with the squad last week, he withdrew because of a knee injury.
His absence offered hope that he could still switch countries and led to speculation that Southgate had not given up hope of getting Anderson, a concern Steve Clarke, the Scotland manager, conceded he was powerless to stop.
“It’s not something I can control,” Clarke said after the 3-0 win in Cyprus. “There’s not a lot I can do about it.”
When asked if he had sought any assurances from Anderson, Clarke said: “No, he just went home.”
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Those fears have been borne out by Southgate refusing to rule out an approach for the player after England’s 1-1 draw with Ukraine in Poland on Saturday. When asked if he wanted to pinch the attacking midfielder from Scotland, Southgate replied: “I don’t know.”
Southgate did confirm, though, how much he wants Anderson, who was born in Whitley Bay in the northeast of England, to switch allegiance.
Southgate, who saw his England team draw with Ukraine on Saturday, would like Anderson to play for England
EDDIE KEOGH/THE FA VIA GETTY IMAGES
“We liked him and we do like him,” Southgate said. “We think he’s a player that’s doing really well. Obviously, he was called into their [Scotland’s] squad earlier in the week and I don’t know what the position is at the moment. I saw he pulled out. Let’s see, that’s something that John McDermott [the FA’s technical director] and others at our organisation will be picking up. He’s definitely a player we like.”
The public declaration to take Anderson back from Scotland is sure to anger Clarke and his staff before Tuesday’s friendly international against England at Hampden Park, which Anderson was due to play in.
Anderson qualifies for Scotland because of a grandmother on his father’s side of the family who was born in Glasgow. He has represented Scotland at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level and then switched allegiance to England in March 2021 when he played in a friendly for the under-19 team against Arsenal Under-23.
He was then called up by Scotland Under-21 and made his debut at that level in June 2022 against Belgium.
Anderson in action for Newcastle against Manchester City in the Premier League last month
SIMON STACPOOLE/OFFSIDE VIA GETTY IMAGES
Anderson, who has been at Newcastle since he was eight years old, made his debut under Steve Bruce in the FA Cup at Arsenal in January 2021. He starred during a loan spell at Bristol Rovers last season in Sky Bet League One and has seen his standing at Newcastle rise since his return this term. Eddie Howe, the Newcastle head coach, said that Anderson had returned in the summer as the fittest player at the club and scored four times in pre-season friendlies. He has not started a game this season but has been used four times as a substitute.
Scotland , though, are hoping to lure Anderson’s team-mate Harvey Barnes north of the border. The former Leicester City winger, who moved to St James’ Park for £38 million in the summer, has been capped for England at under-18 and under-20 level, has four caps for England Under-21 and has a full England cap after playing 14 minutes of a friendly against Wales in 2020. Since 2020, a player can switch allegiance if they have played no more than three competitive matches at senior level before turning 21.
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Barnes, like Anderson, qualifies for Scotland through his grandparents and is thought to be open-minded about a switch. He was not included in Southgate’s provisional 55-man squad for last year’s World Cup.
Meanwhile, Jordan Pickford has insisted that the England players understand the significance of the rivalry with Scotland.
“Yes. I definitely get it,” he said. “I am from Sunderland. All the lads get it. It will be a tough game. Hampden Park, you know what their fans are like, it is something we want to thrive on, we want to go there and have the experience and win the game.”
Pickford also offered advice to Harry Maguire, who continues to be picked for England while being omitted for Manchester United by Erik ten Hag.
“Football is never a smooth road and you have just got to be fit, be in the right mindset and I think Harry is,” Pickford said. “He trains well all the time, if he is not picked for his club he is always prepared for that, and when he pulls on the England shirt he does very well and it is good to play as a goalkeeper behind him.
“Criticism is always going to be a thing. It’s about reflecting on your own performances and how can you improve. It’s just about working on yourself to get better. I feel like I’m in the best form of my life but I’ll never stop working harder.”
