Nottingham Forest’s emotional prediction made as transfer business leaves Reds ‘looking good’

Talented young team? Check it out. Appealing football philosophy? Check it out. Ardent fans? Check it out. Elliot Anderson is excited about what the future holds at Nottingham Forest.

Leaving Newcastle United’s ‘comfort zone’, where he had risen through the ranks, was a big decision for the midfielder. But he is more than convinced of the project he signed up for at the City Ground after signing a five-year deal.

The Reds are aiming to continue in the Premier League in 2024/25 after successive relegation battles following their return to the top flight. Anderson is one of five new additions so far, with Carlos Miguel, Eric da Silva Moreira and Nikola Milenkovic joining, while Marko Stamenic has been loaned to Olympiacos immediately.

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They connect with a group full of potential. With the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga already in the ranks, Anderson believes there is every chance the team can climb the table.

“It’s great. You see those names before you go in and you want to add to that list,” said the 21-year-old. “Even in training, playing with those players, you can tell you connect well.

“They are the kind of players you want to play with. It’s exciting to play with the three of them.

“You can see in the training sessions that there is tremendous talent in the squad. Youth is very important in any team. Making those connections throughout the pre-season will be good.

“We want to get as high as possible in the table. We certainly have a good chance of that with the players we have.

“A few of the guys are saying how good we look. We’ll just see what we can do.”

Anderson already knew one member of the dressing room well. Striker Chris Wood left the Magpies for Forest in January 2023.

“I texted him to see how things were and he sang the club’s praises,” Anderson said. “He’s a great guy, so it was an advantage to have him here.

“On the one hand, it’s always daunting coming into a new group – especially as all I know is being at Newcastle since I was little. It was hard to leave, but they really made me feel welcome.

“It’s always good to know that a club wants you. Being a homeboy for Newcastle I think you’re always treated like a homeboy. Here, they come as a signature, which is always beneficial for the player. I just want to show the fans that I’m worth that money.

“From the moment we walked in, you could see it was a real family club. I think the fans are quite similar (to Newcastle), they all love their football. The fans will be great.

“The manager is a great guy. I talked to him a few times. He is very nice and his philosophy is what was appealing.

“It’s obviously a great club. I enjoyed the following project. It’s a great team too. It is very attractive from the outside to join the club. I’m really excited to get going.”

The prospect of playing regular football was also a lure for Anderson. His versatility makes him a particularly useful member of Nuno’s squad, but he’s keen to nail down a position if he can.

“At Newcastle, I was in and out of the team. I just want to show everyone what I can do, I hope to play week in and week out and improve my game,” he said.

“I can play as No.8, No.10, left wing. It’s always good for a manager to know that you can play in many positions because you have a better chance of getting into the team and he will know that you are quite reliable. But I hope I can establish a middle ground.

“I hope I can bring creativity and a lot of quality and create chances for the team. And hopefully goals, which have always been part of my game – I didn’t get any at Newcastle, so that’s definitely something I’ll try to bring to the team.”

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