Bristol Rovers have put Elliot Anderson in ‘best position’ admits Newcastle United chief

Newcastle United are excited to welcome back Elliot Anderson to the fold after his superb loan spell with Bristol Rovers.

The 19-year-old is to take up a full pre-season schedule with the Magpies after helping the Gas to promotion to League One where he will hope to break into their first-team.

Anderson left the Memorial Stadium on the back of a successful five-month loan that has had him spoken about as one of the best signings in the club’s history.

The teenager scored the seventh goal to defeat Scunthorpe United 7-0 and get promoted in the most dramatic of circumstances, finishing in third ahead of Northampton Town on goals scored.

In what was his first time away from St James Park, he left with 13 goal contributions, scoring seven times and getting six assists, winning the Young Player of the Month Award, whilst also scoring a few sublime solo goals.

Shola Ameobi, who personally suggested Anderson to manager Joey Barton on deadline day praised him for his time spent in the West Country.

“Elliott, we helped facilitate and put him in the best position we can," Ameobi said in an interview where he was speaking to Chronicle Live.

“But then he has to go and do it, and he has shown that he has that mentality and quality to play at a very high level. We’re excited as a club to have him back and see where he is at.

“It is really nice to see a young player from Newcastle do what Anderson has done, I know how hard it is, and for me, that is what gives me the juice to be able to go ‘we are doing something right he and helping our young kids hopefully make their way.’”

Anderson is reportedly in demand by Championship clubs as well as Rovers’ League One rivals Sheffield Wednesday but there is also an appetite for Anderson to return to the Mem where he would have a full season of senior football under his belt.

Manager Eddie Howe however was disappointed at the player having to drop to the fourth tier for first-team football and may want him to move to the Championship to test whether he could integrate into the Toon’s first team if called upon.

The plan for Anderson is that Howe and his coaching staff will have a look at him and see whether he could be part of their senior squad this season, despite having a wealthy backer that could invest heavily in the first-team squad.

As the Scotland Under-21 international is under the age of 21 and is an academy product, he does not need to be registered in their 25-man squad which could make him a fringe player for them in the Premier League next season.

“The manager is going to have a look at him in the preseason,” revealed Ameobi.

“We want more of that, and with Dan (Ashworth, technical director), coming in, the more we can get those quality players into the building like Elliot Anderson and Kell Watts, the more we will be able to produce players who can hopefully step into the first team.

“I’m really excited to get the ball rolling on that but the process of looking for teams which could be suitable for our players has already begun.

“This is my club, and this is the first time in a long time that we’ve felt we are trying to move the needle in terms of where we’re at as a club and where we want to get to. There’s a sense of hope and optimism that breeds that. It’s really exciting.”