Transfer Tug-of-War: England and Scotland Lock Horns for Newcastle Midfielder Elliot Anderson; Can He Resist Steve Clarke's Temptation?

Scotland manager Steve Clarke has expressed his ongoing interest in granting Elliot Anderson a cap and has not disregarded the possibility of acquiring Harvey Barnes following Tuesday's friendly against England. The young talent, hailing from Whitley Bay, has previously represented Scotland at the youth level but remains eligible to play for England.

The 20-year-old football player recently spent two days with the Scotland squad but later withdrew. Following this, England manager Gareth Southgate expressed his admiration for the Newcastle midfielder and mentioned that his backroom team would address the situation. Southgate added that they are fond of him and believe he is performing exceptionally.

Clearly, he was summoned to the Scotland squad earlier this week and I am unaware of the current circumstances. I have noticed that he has withdrawn.

We will leave it to our organization, including FA technical director John McDermott and others, to address this matter. Without a doubt, he is a player we admire.

During his pre-match press conference prior to Scotland's friendly with England, Clarke expressed, "We also have an appreciation for the player, so Elliot will still have the autonomy to make his decision. Once this camp concludes, I will evaluate our accomplishments, experiences, and any developments throughout the camp. Following our debrief, we will determine our future course of action."

Barnes to switch allegiance to Scotland?

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Anderson and Newcastle team-mate Harvey Barnes

Anderson's fellow player at Newcastle, Barnes, is apparently contemplating changing teams after representing England once in a successful friendly match against Wales three years back.

When questioned about Barnes, Clarke replied, "I would suggest reflecting on that later."

"We are striving to recruit the most exceptional players available to us. Provided they meet the criteria for representing Scotland and have the opportunity to contribute to our team's growth, it can be quite challenging to enhance the current squad...

"I understand the interest surrounding Elliot and Harvey, especially with our upcoming match against England."

"I quite like speaking about the boys I have got because they have put us in a really good position and they deserve a lot of credit for that."

'Scotland don't need to be concerned'

We News reporter Luke Shanley:

"If somebody doesn't want to play for Scotland then don't play for Scotland because this Scotland team is going places.

"If you're not interested in joining the ride, then there's no need to worry.

"That's perfectly alright because Scotland will be heading to Germany, and if anyone feels uneasy or prefers not to participate, that's completely understandable. It's a personal choice.

Scotland are abundantly supplied in that specific position, so I believe Steve Clarke won't be overly worried. This is largely due to the impressive performance of Scott McTominay for Scotland. He has been scoring a plethora of goals, and his significance in this campaign is widely recognized.

Although he was not born in Scotland, McTominay exhibits a strong affiliation with the country. He has a deep desire to represent Scotland and be part of the national team. Despite not receiving significant playing time for Manchester United, when he wears the Scotland shirt, his impact is undeniable. Currently, he is the most in-form player for Scotland.

Southgate plays down Ferguson links

Clarke will be quite relaxed. If anyone does not wish to participate, they should refrain from doing so. Scotland does not need to become overly anxious. If Gareth Southgate chooses him, then that's great for him, and he can proceed.

Southgate dismissed the speculation that Republic of Ireland striker Evan Ferguson is still being considered by England.

"I believe he has already had extensive experience playing for the senior team," Southgate remarked regarding the Brighton striker, who was born in Bettystown but has English heritage.

He currently has eight international appearances. Although it's not completely certain, he has strongly conveyed his belief that he was born in Ireland and has proudly represented the country. Personally, I fully support his decision. He is an exceptional player and deserves our respect. There haven't been any indications that he would choose otherwise.

That being said, we were also considering Yorkshire-born Erling Haaland and hoping he would be open to joining us. Nonetheless, we have a fantastic number nine in Harry Kane and we are extremely satisfied with him.