Steve Clarke and Scotland blow as England-born £30m man closes door on future call-ups

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson has closed the door on any future Scotland call-ups.

Anderson, who has been capped by Scotland from Under-16 through to Under-21 level, was first called up to the senior squad in September last year for matches against Cyprus and England only to withdraw after two training sessions citing an injury.

However, it later emerged that the 21-year-old, who was born in England but has a Scottish grandmother, was having second thoughts over playing for Scotland and wanted time to consider his options.

Elliot Anderson during a Scotland training session at Lesser Hampden on September 5, 2023. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group) | SNS Group

Anderson, who joined Forest from Newcastle United in a £30million transfer this summer, has since been selected for England Under-21s and made his debut in the goalless draw against Northern Ireland on Friday night.

And in a blow to Steve Clarke and the Tartan Army, Anderson has now stated that he has no intention of returning to the Scotland set-up. He has instead pledged his allegience to England after being swayed by the emotion of pulling on the Three Lions jersey.

"Is it a final decision? Yeah," Anderson confirmed. "I see myself playing for England. It was tough as I'm Scottish and English. It's something that I've been trying to decide for a while, and I hope I've made the right decision.

"It is down to how you feel, that's just the most important thing. How you feel when you put the strip on that is what swayed my decision here."

Anderson is not the only member of the England Under-21 squad to turn their back on Scotland. Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney, who was born in England to a Scottish mother, performed a similar U-turn last year having previously represented Scotland at Under-21 level.