Elliot Anderson has admitted England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina still pains him, but is hoping to use the confidence from his performances at the tournament to inspire the start of his Manchester City career.
Anderson will probably make his debut when City play the Premier League winners, Arsenal, on Sunday at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff for the Community Shield.
“It’s really hard,” Anderson said of England’s loss. “I’m still sort of struggling with that. There are highs and lows in football. It’s about how you bounce back.
“I’ve had three weeks to reflect on it, but now is a new season, you have to move forward.
I take huge confidence knowing I can perform on a World Cup stage. I hadn’t played in anything as big as that yet. That was a really good test for me.”
The 23-year-old is likely to become a significant figure in City midfield because of Barcelona’s interest in signing Rodri. A new £51m bid was made by the La Liga side on Wednesday, as they try to seal a deal for the 30-year-old. If the Ballon d’Or winner does depart, City’s new No 5 will be expected to be part of the plan to replace him in the middle of the park. Asked if he is similar in style to the Spaniard, Anderson said: “I think so. I can do various things within midfield and I’ll see where I get used.
“I’ll play anywhere. Creating things, driving forward or the other role if they ask me to do that.”
Anderson joined from Nottingham Forest for what was briefly a record £116m fee [Morgan Rogers’s £117m move to Chelsea soon eclipsed it] for a British player – City had a longstanding interest in him while Pep Guardiola was in charge. Due to his extended World Cup exertions with England, the former Newcastle midfielder is yet to feature for City under their new head coach, Enzo Maresca.
Guardiola’s departure, though, did not made him debate his decision. “It’s such a huge club and the players they have are the best. I want to be surrounded by these sorts of players, proving myself on a daily basis.
“[Kevin] De Bruyne was always the player I looked up to over the last 10 years. I loved watching him. To be here at the same club and playing where he played is special.”
