Ex-Manchester United defender and football pundit Paul Parker has named a shock player ‘one of the best midfielders in the Premier League’.
There are a number of world-class midfielders currently playing in the top-flight of English football, including Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who was impressively crowned Premier League Player of the Season last term.
Pep Guardiola’s English champions also have veteran superstar midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and the current Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, in their squad.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes, Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister and the Chelsea duo of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez – who cost a combined total of £222m – are also considered by many to be among the very best current midfield players in the top-flight.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have James Maddison and out of the traditional ‘Big Six’, Bruno Guimaraes is particularly admired at Newcastle United.
But Parker has opted to pick a player from high-flying Nottingham Forest as one of the best midfielders currently featuring in the Premier League.
It’s not Morgan Gibbs-White, who has conjured up five goals and nine assists across 25 top-flight games this term, helping Forest up to third.
Parker has instead named Elliot Anderson as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.
Anderson joined Forest from Newcastle for £35m in July and has shined under the management of Nuno Espirito Santo at the City Ground.
The 22-year-old, who played six times for England U21s but is yet to make his senior Three Lions debut, has provided six assists and one goal in 28 league games for Forest this term, mainly operating in defensive midfield.
‘When you look at Elliot Anderson, you have to look at his work rate,’ Parker told bettingexpert.
‘He is amazing and if he was playing for a more prominent side, he would be mentioned with England.
‘But he won’t because he plays for Forest, and it’s the same with Gibbs White. He should play for England, but he doesn’t even get looked at because he plays for Forest.
‘Anderson is a really good player and in my opinion he is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.’
While Anderson is perhaps not as highly rated as some of the other Premier League’s top midfielders, there is one fellow pundit who agrees with Parker… Alan Shearer.
The Newcastle legend was left devastated when his old club sold Anderson to Forest, with the midfielder having progressed through the Magpies’ academy.
Speaking in December, Shearer declared that Anderson should be considered among the best Premier League signings of the season.
Anderson scored his first goal for Forest in January and provided an assist in their last top-flight match – a 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town.
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