Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, has no qualms about giving "big-game player" Elliot Anderson the chance to establish himself with yet another remarkable late-season performance.
The 20-year-old midfielder scored the decisive last goal in a 7-0 final-day thrashing of Scunthorpe to propel them to automatic promotion from Sky Bet League Two at the expense of Northampton one year ago, capping off a tremendously successful loan term with Bristol Rovers.
Due to the injuries to fellow midfielder Joe Willock and Sean Longstaff, who are both expected to play Monday night as the Magpies try to secure Champions League qualifying against struggling Leicester, he may find himself playing a crucial part.
When asked if Anderson was ready, head coach Howe responded, "No reservations at all. There is no question in my mind that he would have played more this season if it were not for the performance of the players surrounding him.This year, the midfield has been operating as a cohesive unit very, very well. Elliot, we believe in him; it is just been the strength of the group. If you look at each of the players in that midfield, you would say they are up there as our best-performing players.He proved to be a big-game performer last year during his loan stint, which was a great learning opportunity for him.
After his time at Bristol, Anderson returned to Tyneside and pushed his way into the first-team picture, albeit he has had to wait his turn.
His solitary Premier League start against Liverpool in February ended after just 24 minutes when he was replaced by goalkeeper Martin Dubravka following Nick Pope's dismissal. Twenty-one of his 25 outings to date have been from the bench.
He now views himself as a first-team player, Howe stated, meaning a fully integrated part of the first-team club. He has maintained a consistent training schedule all season.When the team constantly wins and performs well, it is quite tough for the boys who have not played frequently to wait for their opportunity.
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If you look at each of the players in that midfield, you would say they are up there as our best-performing players.He proved to be a big-game performer last year during his loan stint, which was a great learning opportunity for him.
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