{"id":285826,"date":"2023-08-29T01:34:28","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T01:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/?p=285826"},"modified":"2023-08-29T01:34:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T01:34:28","slug":"steve-clarke-certain-that-elliot-anderson-is-committed-to-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsloveme.com\/soccer\/steve-clarke-certain-that-elliot-anderson-is-committed-to-scotland\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Clarke certain that Elliot Anderson is committed to Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"
Steve Clarke has secured assurances over the commitment of Elliot Anderson after the Newcastle midfielder finally opted to play for Scotland over England.<\/p>\n
Anderson has been called into the senior squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Cyprus and the 150th anniversary friendly against England.<\/p>\n
Despite pulling on a dark blue jersey at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18s level, the 20-year-old played a training-ground friendly for England Under-19s against Arsenal Under-23s in 2021.<\/p>\n
And, after his only Scotland Under-21s appearance against Belgium in June 2022, the Magpies star agonised over switching his allegiance to England.<\/p>\n
A late substitute in all three of Newcastle\u2019s Premier League matches this season, however, Anderson could make his senior debut in next week\u2019s vital Euro 2024 qualifier in Larnaca.<\/p>\n
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Elliot Anderson has been called up to the Scotland senior squad for the first time for upcoming games against Cyprus and England<\/p>\n
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Steve Clarke has received assurances that Anderson is committed to playing for Scotland long-term<\/p>\n
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\u2018We\u2019ve had good conversations and I know how much he wants to be involved with the squad, which is great,\u2019 said Clarke.<\/p>\n
\u2018He is doing well with his club, which is obviously a difficult first team to break into, but he\u2019s utilised often off the bench and had a fantastic pre-season. I think he\u2019s in a really good place, so it\u2019s a good time to bring him into the squad.<\/p>\n
\u2018I\u2019m very pleased that he is committed. I don\u2019t think it was such a difficult decision for him in the end. He knows we value him and how much we want him to be part of the squad.<\/p>\n
\u2018I always like to have an element of the squad that can be part of the future and Elliot is one for now and the future.<\/p>\n
\u2018We are showing there is a pathway through for the young boys and there is a chance to come through and play for the national team.\u2019<\/p>\n
The latest FIFA rules allow players under the age of 21 to change their mind if they\u2019ve played three competitive games or less and have been inactive at international level for three years or more. Confident that the youngster wants to play for the birth place of his grandmother Ann, Clarke dismissed any concerns over the time it took to commit to Scotland after a dalliance with the land of his birth.<\/p>\n
\u2018He hasn\u2019t had a change of allegiance,\u2019 he said. \u2018He went to an England training camp and then played for Scotland Under-21s. He gets to a certain age when he has a choice.<\/p>\n
\u2018You have to weigh up what you want to do. He took his time to weigh it up and he has come down on our side. I\u2019m pretty pleased.\u2019<\/p>\n
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Anderson has featured for both Scotland and England at international youth level<\/p>\n
It’s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.<\/span><\/p>\n It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The Scotland boss, who refused to give the new boy any rock-solid guarantee of minutes on the pitch in the forthcoming double-header, believes the national team\u2019s 100-per-cent record in Euro 2024 qualifying makes them an attractive proposition.<\/p>\n \u2018If he can get minutes on the pitch then great,\u2019 continued Clarke. \u2018If not and it is still a successful camp, he learns from being within the camp, so that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n \u2018The success the boys have been achieving regularly will tell you that it\u2019s a good place to be. It\u2019s a good squad and we are in a good moment.<\/p>\n \u2018You look at the names on that list \u2014 there are some pretty good names. We have shown we can be very competitive against the top teams in Europe, which is what we want to be, so why would you not want to choose Scotland?\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clarke believes Scotland’s strong start to Euro 2024 qualifying is encouraging players like Anderson to commit to his squad<\/p>\n Clarke also considered a call-up for 17-year-old Liverpool winger Ben Doak. The former Celtic kid\u2019s strong displays in pre-season prompted speculation over a rapid promotion from the Under-21s team.<\/p>\n An unused substitute in recent league games, talks between Clarke and the SFA ended in an agreement to keep him in the Under-21s and gain more game time.<\/p>\n \u2018Ben\u2019s another one who is doing very well at his club,\u2019 said Clarke. \u2018If you are involved at a club like Liverpool, then you are doing well.<\/p>\n \u2018Ben, if he continues to do what he\u2019s doing, will be involved in the future. I wouldn\u2019t worry too much that.\u2019<\/p>\n