Senior defender Dan Burn has praised his compatriot Elliot Anderson for his brilliant performance in England’s midfield during the 2026 World Cup in North America. Anderson continues to show impressive consistency for Thomas Tuchel’s side, including overcoming stiff opposition from Norway in the quarter-finals.
The combination of this duo of Newcastle players is one of the interesting aspects of the Three Lions camp. What’s more, after the match against Norway ended, both players were caught on camera sharing an emotional embrace as they celebrated their success in reaching the semi-finals.
Advertising
Scroll to continue with content
Byrne expressed his admiration for the calmness and mentality that the 23-year-old young midfielder has possessed since the early days of his career at club level.
“He’s very calm and nothing I’ve seen really affects Elliott. From his development as a child, training with Newcastle to the start of the World Cup. His character has never changed, he always wants the ball.”
Play at the intensity the coach likes. I was very happy for him the other day (the win over Croatia) because he was going through some tough times in his personal life. “He showed his quality,” said England defender Dan Byrne.
Byrne also spoke about the midfielder’s forced move from Newcastle United to Nottingham Forest due to Premier League financial regulations (PSR) in mid-2024.
Advertising
Scroll to continue with content
“I don’t think he wanted to leave Newcastle (with the forced sale of Nottingham Forest due to the PSR situation in June 2024) but would he be in the position he is in now if he was still at Newcastle? asked Dan Byrne, England defender.
On the other hand, Anderson himself admitted that the quarterfinal match against Norway, held in the hot weather and high humidity of the city of Miami, really exhausted the physical strength of the players.
“It was very difficult. Very difficult,” said England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
The player, who recently completed a record transfer to Manchester City, recorded the longest cruising distance, covering a distance of 14.8 kilometers during this dramatic match.
“I had cramps a few times (in extra time). But the morale of the players was extraordinary to be part of. The fans should be proud of the fight and determination we showed,” added England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
While Anderson appreciates the team’s fighting power, he believes England’s performance can still be improved to ensure maximum results in future matches.
“We could make it easier for ourselves if we played more football and didn’t have to run as much,” explained England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
He emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent tactics on the green to dominate the match.
“We can be better. Sometimes we play well and sometimes we don’t,” said England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
However, he remains optimistic about England’s huge potential ahead of the remainder of the tournament.
“But this is football, isn’t it? Sometimes you set a plan, but we don’t quite manage to implement it. But there have been flashes of play and once we get it right I think we will be very scary,” England midfielder Elliot Anderson said.
Meanwhile, coach Thomas Tuchel also highlighted his side’s tactical flexibility, including experimenting with deploying attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers to play deeper to balance the team following the departure of Declan Rice.
“We played Morgan Rogers as a number eight and in defense as a double pivot number six,” explained England coach Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel admitted that he was very pleased with the positive contribution of the substitutes, who were able to maintain the rhythm of the game in difficult situations.
“He’s one of my key players. I’m very, very happy with his performance. He’s made a big step forward, as have all our substitutes, but especially Morgan in his new position – really top,” praised England coach Thomas Tuchel.
Former Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe also expressed his club’s deep regret when he had to part ways with his academy’s best young talent two years ago.
“When we did it, we regretted it. We knew it would be a very, very painful transfer, a transfer that we would have to make,” said Eddie Howe, Newcastle United manager.
Howe revealed that the coaching team were, in fact, well aware of the enormous potential of Anderson, who was beginning to emerge effectively in the Newcastle first team at the time.
“We had no choice but it was probably the most reluctant transfer I’ve ever made because we knew the quality of the player. We’d seen him up close over the years training with us. He started to work his way into the team and in my opinion at the end of that season he was very effective in a number of different positions,” added Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
Despite having to allow the player to prove himself elsewhere, Howe still wishes Anderson long-term success in his professional career.
“It hurts to see him do this to us today, he will go on and have a fantastic career wherever he goes, wherever his career takes him. He’s also a great kid, so it pains us to accept it, but he’s an outstanding player,” concluded Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.