Unearthed Elliot Anderson stats back up World Cup claim after Forest masterclass
Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson has been tipped as an ‘outside horse’ to make England’s World Cup squad.
Anderson arrived at the City Ground from Newcastle last season and remains Forest’s second-most-expensive player of all time.
The midfielder has certainly repaid the £35million spent on him, however, with a string of excellent performances last season to help the Tricky Trees qualify for Europe.
Picking up where he left off, Anderson also made a brilliant start to the 2025/26 campaign.
Anderson tipped for England call-up
Anderson was at the heart of everything Forest did well in Saturday’s 3-1 win at home to Brentford.
His defence-splitting pass to assist Chris Wood for the third goal just before half-time was the standout moment, but even that was only the tip of the iceberg.
Anderson ended the match first among Forest players for distance covered (11.3km), passes completed (64), final third passes completed (11), recoveries (8), ball carries (39), touches (89), and long passes completed/attempted (8/16) – while also coming second for aerial duels won (2) and tackles (2, FotMob, FBref).
None of that will come as a surprise to Forest fans, who saw Anderson run their midfield throughout last season.
However, the direct goal involvement on the opening day will be a positive addition for the player himself after managing just two goals and six assists for the club previously.
| Nottingham Forest stats | Elliot Anderson |
| Appearances | 43 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 7 |
Picking Anderson in his team of the week for BBC Sport, former Premier League striker Troy Deeney hailed the 22-year-old’s performance and tipped him as an unexpected contender to make Thomas Tuchel’s England squad next summer.
“That through ball alone gets him in the team,” wrote Deeney of the 12-time youth international, who was also capped extensively for Scotland’s development squads. “He has become an outside horse for being in the England squad for the World Cup.
“We thought last year could have been a bit of a fluke with Forest, but he was the driving force against Brentford. That pass through to Chris Wood was perfectly weighted, and a lot of players would have rushed and tried to kick the ball away, but he played the pass.”
Anderson making England headway
Football Insider verdict
Anderson’s talent has always been clear, but now, he’s really starting to thrive in his protagonist role at Nottingham Forest.
The midfielder said before the start of the season that he wanted to add more goals and assists to his game, and he’s already made a good start in that regard.
But it’s his ability to control the game on both sides of the ball that really stands out, with Anderson equally capable at spraying passes around as he is breaking up the opposition’s rhythm.
England’s midfield pool is congested at present, with the likes of Declan Rice, Curtis Jones and Conor Gallagher battling for those two deeper spots.
However, not many in a Three Lions shirt can bring the all-round game Anderson has.
To say he could be a starter for Tuchel next summer is a push, but he now stands a good chance of making the squad and, perhaps, also earning a move to a Champions League side — which would then seriously level up his England prospects.