Manager confirms talks with Newcastle United player as 14-goal star ‘monitored’

Scotland will host England in the 150th anniversary match on Tuesday night at Hampden Park. Anderson was called-up to the Scotland senior squad for the first time but quickly withdrew and returned to Newcastle after picking up an injury.

The 20-year-old’s withdrawal before making a senior cap for Scotland leaves the door open for England to bring him back into their set-up. Anderson is born in England but is eligible to represent Scotland through his paternal grandmother.

And when asked about Anderson dropping out of the Scotland squad, Southgate revealed talks had taken place with the player with regards to him switching his international allegiance back to England.

“With Elliot, again, I think he’s a player who has progressed really well and we’ve previously spoken with him but of course he was named in the [Scotland] squad here so I assumed that was that,” Southgate said in his pre-match press conference.

But I thought he had an excellent pre-season with Newcastle as well. You could see that evolution he’s got as a player and the potential that he’s got. I know that Newcastle rate him very highly.”

Southgate was sat alongside Newcastle matchday captain Kieran Trippier, who will be hoping to win his 43rd England cap on Tuesday night.

The 32-year-old was also asked about Anderson, to which he replied: “As the gaffer said before in pre-season, he’s been unbelievable.

“It was good for him last year that he stayed with us and not go out on loan again. He gained that experience and he’s a young lad with great potential. Obviously we’ve had talks but like Gareth said before, he went away with Scotland and ultimately that’s his decision.

“He’s a young lad with great potential and that decision is ultimately up to him.”

Newcastle summer signing Harvey Barnes has also been linked with a switch to Scotland almost three years after making his England debut. The 25-year-old has not featured for the Three Lions since but Southgate admitted that he is continuing to monitor the player’s progress.

“In terms of Harvey, he’s a player who has obviously played for us,” Southgate said. “We’ve got a lot of competition in that area of the pitch so he’s a player we’re always monitoring and like a lot.”

Barnes has scored 14 Premier League goals since the start of last season with Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford and Ollie Watkins the only Englishmen to score more.

The England boss added: “I don’t know the ultimate question for either player but there are going to be more and more of these situations.

“There are so many players with dual or triple nationalities now that it is very complicated for every country and sometimes you can’t offer the player something as quickly as you’d like.

“We’ve benefited from it and we’ve lost players because of it and that’s always going to be the case.”

England famously benefitted from both Declan Rice and Jack Grealish switching to represent England after representing the Republic of Ireland. Rice earned three senior caps for Ireland while Grealish represented the country at Under-17s, Under-18s and Under-21s level.