Man City have dominated Man United for as long as I’ve known, says Elliot Anderson after £116M transfer | OneFootball

Manchester City’s club record signing Elliot Anderson has declared the club to be the “Kings of Manchester” and expressed his excitement for the Manchester derby in his first interview.

The 23-year-old signed for Manchester City from Nottingham Forest earlier this month in a deal worth £116 million, making the move north from the east Midlands to begin a new chapter at the Etihad Stadium under manager Enzo Maresca.

Anderson has wasted no time in making his allegiances clear, using his first official interview as a City player to offer a pointed verdict on Manchester’s footballing hierarchy that speaks to why he decided to choose blue when Manchester United also came calling this summer.

The midfielder also spoke warmly about the prospect of settling in Manchester with his family, reflecting on the move from Nottingham with genuine enthusiasm about the region he is now calling home.

His comments on the Manchester derby and his personal situation paint the picture of a player who has arrived not just as a football signing but as someone fully committed to embedding himself within the city and the club’s identity from the very first day.

Anderson: “City have been the Kings of Manchester”

Speaking to official Manchester City media, Anderson delivered a verdict on the Manchester rivalry that left little room for interpretation, drawing on his own long-standing familiarity with the city’s footballing landscape.

“It’s one of the biggest derbies in the world and for as long as I’ve known Manchester, City have been the Kings of Manchester,” said Anderson. “It’ll be a great fixture and I can’t wait to be involved in something like that.”

The provocation was clearly deliberate, referencing a decade-long period of City dominance over their cross-city rivals that has seen the Blues dominate the Premier League under Pep Guardiola and establish themselves as one of Europe’s pre-eminent forces.

Anderson also spoke about settling in Manchester with his family, reflecting on a personal dimension to the move that goes beyond purely footballing considerations, and delivering a verdict on his new surroundings that underlines the enthusiasm with which he has approached the transition from Nottingham.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” Anderson added. “It’s a lovely part of the country and my family and I will really enjoy this place.”

What do Anderson’s comments tell us about his Man City mentality?

The confidence with which Anderson has addressed the derby, the city and his role at the club reflects the character that director of football Hugo Viana and Maresca identified when making him the centrepiece of this summer’s rebuild – a player not short of belief and unafraid to state it publicly from day one.

The “Kings of Manchester” declaration will add an edge to an already fierce fixture, and Anderson will know better than most the scrutiny that comes with such a statement for a player yet to kick a competitive ball for his new club.

His excitement about Manchester as a place to live, rather than just a club to play for, speaks to a longer-term commitment that the club will welcome – and suggests that Anderson sees the Etihad Stadium not as a stepping stone but as the destination he has been building towards throughout a career that only continues to accelerate.