Elliot Anderson
CDMCM
England23 years
Showing2026/27 seasonAll official competitions
Preferred Positions
Last 24 months · all competitions
CDM
Defensive midfieldMain
7,733 min · 99 apps · 84 starts
CM
Central midfield
1,141 min · 13 apps · 13 starts
Squad importance
Current squad importance over the club’s last 40 recorded competitive games in this spell, including previous seasons. Starts and minutes contribute 70%; performance contributes 30%. Absences reduce the score gradually, with less weight when a player is outside the matchday squad.Current role at Manchester City · independent of the season filter
Important
Involvement73%
Performance55%
Through the match on 20 Oct 2026. Refreshed daily.
Profile
Career & playing style
Elliot Anderson is a midfielder who combines close control with the strength to protect possession. He can invite an opponent towards him, hold off the challenge and turn into space before releasing a pass. That ability to escape pressure helps explain his progression from an attacking role on the left to the centre of midfield.
Raised in Whitley Bay, Anderson played grassroots football at Wallsend Boys' Club before joining Newcastle United's academy aged eight. He advanced through the youth teams and made his senior debut as a substitute against Arsenal in the FA Cup in January 2021. His next major step came away from his boyhood club.
A loan to Bristol Rovers in the second half of the 2021/22 season gave him a different attacking role. With places in central midfield occupied, he played on the left, cutting inside and using his balance to ride challenges. His late header against Scunthorpe on the final day helped Rovers clinch promotion from League Two.
After returning to Newcastle, Anderson moved to Nottingham Forest in summer 2024. His game grew to encompass winning possession and helping the team keep it, alongside the dribbling that had stood out at Rovers. Forest's run to the Europa League semi-finals in 2025/26 also added a sustained European campaign to his development.
He helped England win the 2025 European Under-21 Championship and earned a place in UEFA's Team of the Tournament. The technical observers highlighted his command of the game after coming off the bench against Spain, his strength in duels and his runs into the penalty area.
Having represented Scotland at youth level, Anderson made his senior England debut against Andorra on 6 September 2025. His first World Cup followed in 2026. He played in England's opening win over Croatia and came on as a substitute in the 6-4 victory over France that secured third place in July.
Anderson joined Manchester City in July 2026 after two seasons at Forest. The move brought together qualities developed along that route: the ability to carry the ball past pressure, the appetite to compete for possession and the passing to connect midfield with teammates further forward.