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England and Nottingham Forest player Elliot Anderson on Playing Elite Football for Country and Battling Relegation for Club

30/03/2026

Tottenham Hotspurs Training Ground, London, UK

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Sports
Transcript
00:01OK, everyone now joined by Elliot Anderson.
00:03Same housekeeping, please.
00:04Two questions per person.
00:06Rob, do you want to start?
00:08Hey, Elliot.
00:09Nice to see you, mate.
00:10You well?
00:10Yeah, all good, thanks.
00:11Good, man.
00:12Thomas Tuchel often says that one player's ahead of another in a particular position.
00:17He seems to like to want to rank the players by a position that he's coaching.
00:21So I wondered how it was for you watching the game at Wembley on Friday,
00:25knowing that there were two new faces in midfield
00:27and both of them would quite like your spot in the World Cup.
00:30No, yeah, it was a good game, good to watch.
00:32And I think when you play for England, you've always got people coming for your position.
00:38So, yeah, that's just a given.
00:39And hopefully I can keep doing well enough to keep it.
00:44Knowing this game against Japan is your last chance to kind of cement yourself as England's number six
00:50before Thomas Tuchel has to pick his World Cup squad.
00:53Do you look at this as one of the biggest games of your career?
00:57Yeah, it's always a big game when you play for England.
01:00And I'm looking really forward to it, you know, as you say, it's the last game before the World Cup.
01:05But, yeah, I've just got to try and do what I've been doing in the previous games.
01:12Hi, I'm from NHK Japan.
01:15How much do you know about the Japanese team?
01:18What is your impression about and what's their strengths or their weaknesses?
01:24No, they're a really good side.
01:25I think they've been doing really well over the past few years and they've lost 1-17.
01:30So they're definitely a good side and it's going to be a tough game, which I'm looking forward to.
01:35So in the last game, after the Scotland game, the Scottish players were saying kind of their style and how
01:44they kind of pass the ball around and so on.
01:46And that was quite unique and did you find that as well?
01:52Sorry, say that?
01:52The kind of how they pass the ball and the sort of quickness and so on.
01:58And that was quite unique in a way.
02:00So I wonder if you find that as well from watching the games.
02:05No, yeah, definitely.
02:06I think we've sort of watched a bit of them in meetings and stuff.
02:10So, yeah, we're definitely expecting a good side.
02:13And, yeah, as I say, we'll have to deal with that tomorrow.
02:17And also there are many, some players playing in a Premier League and you might be familiar with.
02:23And they know some players from England's side as well.
02:27So what do you think they bring to the Premier League as well as how they can pose a threat
02:34to you?
02:35Yeah, they've got definitely some dangerous players, you know.
02:37They've got Matoma out on the wing who can cause problems.
02:42Kamada.
02:42So, yeah, they've got some top players across the leagues and, yeah, they'll be a good side.
02:48There's this narrative and it's probably likely that you will probably, fitness permitting,
02:53that you will start the first game of the World Cup at number six.
02:57Do you view it that way?
02:59Is that your mindset?
03:00Are you confident that you'll be in the team for the start of the tournament?
03:05I want it that way, but, no, I've got a full season left with Forrest and, yeah, I've got plenty
03:12of games and there's plenty of time until then.
03:14So I've got to keep my standards high and make sure it happens.
03:19And I know Declan Rice has obviously withdrawn from the squad, but can you speak a little bit about how
03:23that partnership is blossoming and how you complement each other?
03:28Yeah, it's a really good partnership.
03:30Since I've came in, he's made me feel comfortable.
03:33He's helped me learn on the job and, yeah, he's full of energy to sort of help me.
03:39And the relationship on the pitch is really good.
03:43Okay, next question.
03:45Henry?
03:49Hi, Elliot.
03:50Just on Sammy's point, you say that Declan has helped you learn.
03:55In what way?
03:58I think on and off the pitch.
04:00And seeing the way he plays on the pitch is, I'm trying to learn from him the way he plays.
04:05And, yeah, just little things on the training pitch, bits of advice, putting his arm around me and just building
04:11on the relationship, yeah.
04:12Yeah, but obviously you're here because you've been playing well for your club.
04:16But when you come here, do you develop?
04:18Obviously, you've talked about Declan.
04:20But when you see a player like Harry Kane and his dedication, obviously, in training in the game and then
04:26around the hotel,
04:27what little things have you picked up from professionals like him?
04:32Yeah, Harry Kane is a top professional.
04:35And, yeah, you learn things every day from him, the way he trains, the way he sort of carries himself
04:41around the hotel, within the squad.
04:45So, yeah, I'm definitely learning things like that.
04:47Jason?
04:48Okay, any friends?
04:49If not, we'll go back to Rob Dorsett and Sammy.
04:53I was going to say, at the moment, there's quite a lot of speculation regarding your future heading into next
04:57season.
04:58But you've also got, obviously, the World Cup to – I probably know what the answer is to it, going
05:03to be here.
05:04But in terms of distractions with your club future, how does that fit into you preparing for the summer and
05:09the tournament?
05:13Yeah, obviously, we've got the World Cup this summer.
05:15So, all my eyes are on that.
05:17And, yeah, playing for England is definitely – I've obviously got the badge on now.
05:22So, that's all I'm thinking about at the moment.
05:25It's kind of related to that.
05:26I wonder how much of a kind of step change it is for you from the pressure of a relegation
05:32battle, if you like, with your club to suddenly coming to be part of the elite where it looks like
05:36you've got a really strong chance of going to the World Cup.
05:37They're very different emotions for club and country right now for you, aren't they?
05:41Yeah, definitely.
05:43But, ultimately, all the games are the same.
05:46I'm just going on the pitch and trying to give my best and fight for whatever strip I've got on.
05:51And, yeah, that's all I'm doing.
05:52The other thing I wanted to ask you was you clearly get on with the England players very, very well.
05:57I mean, Thomas talks a lot about it being a close-knit squad.
06:00And yet, the competition between you in each position is never going to be stronger than it is right now
06:05just before he picks the squad.
06:07So, that must be a strange dynamic as well.
06:11Yeah, we're all sort of competing with each other.
06:14But we're all really good mates within the group.
06:16So, there's definitely a great balance.
06:18And the competitiveness is definitely there.
06:22And we're really enjoying it.
06:24Last one, back to Henry.
06:24Yeah.
06:25Elliot, we always have these sort of mood swings with England.
06:27We don't have a particularly good result.
06:29We're the worst in the world.
06:30We have a good result.
06:31You know, football's coming home.
06:33When you look around the squad and the dressing room, what's your take?
06:37I mean, this is a good group of players, isn't it?
06:41Yeah, 100%.
06:43Really good group of players.
06:44And really important that we're a really good group of people as well.
06:48So, I think the balance is really good at the moment.
06:51And I'm really enjoying coming into camp and speaking to the lads and learning off what they do on the
06:57pitch.
06:57So, it's a really good moment.
06:59Okay, everyone.
07:00Thank you very much.
07:02Cheers.
07:02Thanks, sir.
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