'I used to play with Elliot Anderson's grandad, now I'm thrilled midfielder is at Nottingham Forest'
Elliot Anderson has been one of the standout stars of Nottingham Forest’s season as Nuno Espirito Santo’s side chase a place in Europe.
And it is perhaps a quirk of fate that there is a mutual connection between the midfielder and the last manager to lead the Reds on a continental adventure. The link also involves Anderson’s former club and the team he will come up against on Sunday (2pm).
Frank Clark was the man in the dugout when Forest qualified for the UEFA Cup in 1995. As a player he had been one of Brian Clough’s European Cup-winning Miracle Men, but prior to that he had also enjoyed success on the big stage with Newcastle United - where he used to play with Anderson’s grandfather.
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Geoff Allen was a winger who made his debut for the Magpies at the age of just 17. Part of the 1969 side to win the European Fairs Cup, along with Clark, his career was cut short when he suffered a bad injury at the age of 23 in a game against the Reds.
All these years later, Anderson is now impressing in the Garibaldi and will return to the north east on Sunday in a big Premier League clash for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side. Clark was aware of the Newcastle academy graduate when he was breaking through at St James’ Park, and he was thrilled when his move to the City Ground came about last summer.
“I’m delighted for Elliot,” the 81-year-old told NottinghamshireLive. “I used to play with his grandfather. It makes me feel very old!
“His grandfather is Geoff Allen, who used to play on the left wing at Newcastle. He played in the first couple of games in the Fairs Cup which we won, which I was in as well.
“Unfortunately, he got injured playing against Forest and unfortunately for him he never played again. That was a real tragedy.
"Elliot has been terrific. A lot of my friends up in the north east were absolutely gobsmacked when Newcastle allowed him to go. I know they had PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) problems in the background. He has been a great acquisition for us.
"I was aware of it (the link). I'd known about it for a long time. I was absolutely delighted when he came. He's impressed me even more than I thought he would, because he is still relatively young.”
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has gone on record to lament the loss of Anderson, who has become a key player for the Reds. Such is his form, it would come as no surprise to see the 22-year-old handed a senior England call-up in the near future.
Clark is keen not to put too much pressure on someone so young, but he knows having a group of international players can only be a good thing for Forest - after all, that was the case when he was in charge Trentside. Among others, Morgan Gibbs-White won his first Three Lions cap earlier this season, Murillo was part of the Brazil squad in November, Chris Wood is as influential for New Zealand as he is for the Reds and Nikola Milenkovic captains Serbia.
"Let's hope so,” Clark said when asked about Anderson’s England prospects. “Hopefully he might be able to attain that with us.
"That is a big thing for the club and for the players. It was quite a significant step for us at the time when Stuart Pearce was a regular in the England team. After that first season in the Premier League, Stan (Collymore) was capped only once or twice, I think. Colin Cooper got in and Steve Stone got called up. They all got called up at the end of that season and that was a really big thing for the club.
"There was a school of thought at the time that said our achievements were being undersold by the media. I think that was possibly true. But then when you get four of your players into the England squad, that tells you that the people who matter in the industry appreciate what we've been doing. As today, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Murillo and Milenkovic, it's a big positive for the club as a whole.”
Securing any kind of European football would also be a huge positive for the Reds. It is tight at the top end of the table, and Clark knows all too well what Nuno is trying to navigate as the Portuguese looks to get Forest over the line.
The ex-defender steered Forest to a third-placed finish in the top flight in 1994/95 to clinch a place in what was then called the Uefa Cup, now the Europa League. It came on the back of promotion from the second tier during his first season at the helm, after he had replaced the club’s greatest ever manager, Clough, in 1993.
“It’s wonderful for the club and for the supporters,” the former Reds player, manager and chairman said. “It’s allowing the supporters to dream about Europe. Part of being a supporter is that you need to be able to dream about something for your club.
“Nuno seems to be keeping his feet on the floor and keeping the players’ feet on the floor, based on the realism of the situation. But there is no reason at all for supporters not to be dreaming about Europe, and that’s a great thing for the club and for the city.”
Clark admires Nuno’s level-headedness. He says he “loves to hear” the Portuguese speak in post-match interviews about immediately thinking about the next game, even when players are “singing in the dressing room” after an important result.
Some “wonderful” recruitment has caught the eye, too. Forest were the butt of pundits’ jokes for so long, following a signing spree after promotion in 2022, but there is no doubt they have made some excellent signings in recent windows.
“Milenkovic, I love him,” Clark said. “He’s a proper centre half. He doesn’t mess about. When it goes in the box, he heads it out. But he can play a bit as well, the lad.
“Murillo is… well, Murillo is just a great find. He is going to be a top, top player.”
But as someone who has been there and done it, Clark knows how tough it can be to keep picking up results. Forest are well placed with 25 games of the campaign gone, but it doesn’t make the task any easier.
“It’s tricky because the Premier League is relentless,” Clark said. “The Premier League is very intense and unforgiving. You've got to make sure - and this is down to the manager and his staff as well as the players - that they are up to the mark every game.
“There are some very good teams snapping at our heels. But they will have the same problems as us; they have to play the same teams as us. It’s going to be difficult for everybody.
“It certainly makes for a really exciting finish to the season. It gives all the supporters a chance to dream, which is a great thing.”
A whole generation of Reds fans are yet to see their team compete in Europe. The club’s rich history on that front has weighed heavy on some bosses, but not now.
“Some managers have come in and taken down all the photos and everything that ascertains to that time,” said Clark. “That’s silly because that’s why we’ve got the two stars on the shirt.
“You have just got to embrace it and not let it weigh you down. At the moment, I don’t think our supporters will be harping on about the history of the club; they are excited as to where the club is going now.
“Most people who have come to the club seem to have wanted to embrace the history, which is what they should be doing. The owner, Mr (Evangelos) Marinakis, certainly does. But like he says, there is no reason why they shouldn’t want to make history themselves, because he is going to back them the whole way.
“He is restricted by PSR. If it wasn’t for that, I think he’d be looking to do more, because he’s in a hurry to get there!”
