Elliot Anderson stakes claim for regular England berth after another accomplished display in Latvia | OneFootball

Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson was one of England’s standout performers as they thrashed Latvia 5-0 to book their place in next year’s World Cup last night.

After helping England win the European U21 Championship in the summer, Anderson was handed his senior debut in the World Cup qualifying victory over Andorra last month.

He has quickly impressed manager Thomas Tuchel, who described him as a ‘very, very good football player’.

The 22-year-old marshalled England’s midfield in the victory over Latvia, allowing them to dominate possession throughout the fixture.

According to OptaJoe, the former Newcastle United man completed 121 passes – the most by any England player since August 2008.

Anderson was also instrumental in allowing England to record 24 high turnovers, the most they have had in any game across all competitions since the 2014 World Cup.

He won seven of the 10 ground duels he contested – more than any of his teammates. He also came out top for most tackles and interceptions.

His presence has allowed Declan Rice to play further up the pitch.

The Arsenal star revealed after captaining England to their 3-0 friendly victory over Wales that he has become ‘more of a box-to-box number eight‘.

Tuchel has been urged to call up Adam Wharton, who is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders.

Wharton is undoubtedly more creative than Anderson and Rice, and a strong case can be made for him to start ahead of one of them.

However, Tuchel clearly rates Anderson, while Rice appears to be undroppable, regardless of who is in charge of the national team.