While many England stars are worried, the 22-year-old player who has only played 249 minutes is sure to qualify for the World Cup.

TPO - Coach Thomas Tuchel is building a promising England team without the biggest stars. And this makes Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish or Cole Palmer have reason to worry when they are still called up. However, with Elliot Anderson, it is different. After only 249 minutes on the field, the 22-year-old player is almost guaranteed a starting position.

Gareth Southgate struggled to find a replacement for Kalvin Phillips in his final spell as England manager, and at EURO 2024 he tried to strike a balance in midfield by deploying Declan Rice as the deepest midfielder, partnered by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher and Kobbie Mainoo.

Under Thomas Tuchel, the German strategist found a more effective solution. He preferred to use Rice in a higher position in midfield in a 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing the Arsenal player to move forward and have more influence on attacks. Therefore, Tuchel needed a different "number 6".

He initially targeted Adam Wharton, but the Crystal Palace midfielder's injury in September's squad opened the door for Elliot Anderson. After three games and 249 minutes of playing time, the Nottingham Forest man is exactly what Tuchel needs in his quest to win the 2026 World Cup.

Thomas Tuchel presented Anderson with his hat during his England debut.

The German strategist understood that building a world- champion team required a playmaker like Andrea Pirlo of Italy in 2006, Xavi of Spain in 2010, or Toni Kroos of Germany in 2014. He was a player England rarely produced, someone who could control the central midfield area as a deep-lying playmaker, developing the game from the back.

Then Tuchel found Anderson. The 22-year-old has a versatile skill set built on physicality, ball control, sharp vision and plenty of stamina. He can also play as a No. 6, No. 8 or No. 10, idolises Kevin De Bruyne and has been dubbed the “Geordie Maradona” (Tyneside’s Maradona).

In his debut match against Andorra (England won 2-0), Anderson moved freely in front of the defense, always positioning himself well to receive the ball and immediately moving forward. In this match, he made 114 passes with an accuracy rate of 93.8%. With misplaced passes, he mostly recovered the ball quickly. Similarly to the recent win against Wales, Anderson's pass completion rate was 96.1% (74/77), creating 2 chances and recovering the ball 6 times. Anderson's statistics in the 2025/26 Premier League are also very impressive. He has the most passes in the opponent's half (244) and the best ball recovery rate (47).

It wouldn't be surprising if Anderson gets a place in the 2026 World Cup squad.

Tuchel was, of course, very pleased with his discovery . He repeatedly praised Anderson publicly, saying, "He is an excellent player, strong and mobile, making a difference in both attack and defense, disrupting the opponent's play and breaking down their defense with his passes."

Another detail that pleased Tuchel was his student's quick adaptation to the national team jersey, the international competition atmosphere as well as dealing with the pressure on the field. Anderson did everything well with "talent and humility", according to Tuchel's explanation.

The 52-year-old is determined to carve out a path to fulfil England’s World Cup dream. There may not be any stars on that path, but there is certainly room for “talented and humble” youngsters like Anderson.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/trong-khi-nhieu-ngoi-sao-tuyen-anh-lo-lang-cau-thu-tre-22-tuoi-moi-ra-san-249-phut-lai-chac-suat-du-world-cup-post1786494.tpo