'All eyes on the World Cup' - Elliot Anderson confirms 2026 dream after impressing on England debut in underwhelming Andorra win

The Nottingham Forest ace barely put a foot wrong on his first England outing on Saturday, in what was, otherwise, a lukewarm display from Thomas Tuchel's men in a 2-0 win at Villa Park. And after this promising new dawn, the midfielder wants to be part of the Three Lions squad that heads to North America for next year's World Cup.

"I think it’s only one game really," he said. "I’m focusing on the next game and then the game after that, to try and make an impact. But obviously, all eyes on the World Cup. It couldn’t have gone much better apart from if I’d have scored. I should have scored, it is what it is…next time."

The 22-year-old has been a revelation for Forest since signing from Newcastle United last year, and so far, he has translated that form to the international stage. While he may be an outside bet as a starter, the ex-Bristol Rovers loanee has made an excellent impression in his bid to achieve his World Cup dream.

Anderson will hope for more game time when England travel to Serbia for their next World Cup qualifier on Tuesday. The Three Lions have five more matches in the World Cup qualifiers, which is not long for someone to try and tie down a squad spot for next year.