England midfielder’s remarkable rise started off in League Two and his £116m move to Manchester City is confirmation of his relentless progress

At Bristol Rovers the players would fight to be on Elliot Anderson’s team in training five-a-sides because they knew they would be victorious. Even as a teenager, the midfielder was a cut above his more experienced peers, becoming an integral part of the club’s promotion to League One, the first step on his journey to becoming the most expensive British player after Manchester City agreed to pay £116m for his services.

The Rovers loan was not the start of a rapid rise for Anderson, who returned to his boyhood club, Newcastle, to find the squad stacked with talented midfielders and struggled to cement a place. In the end, his main contribution at St James’ Park was helping the club avoid financial penalties, his homegrown status helping when he left for Nottingham Forest in 2024 in a deal that in effect valued him at £15m. It is at the City Ground where he has established himself as one of the country’s best midfielders, causing pain to Geordies.