‘City have been the kings of Manchester’: Anderson relishes derby challenge after move
New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) Manchester City’s new midfielder Elliot Anderson says he cannot wait to experience the Manchester derby after joining the Premier League champions, with the 23-year-old explaining that the club’s winning culture and the opportunity to work under Enzo Maresca were key factors behind his decision to make the move.
Anderson arrives at City following a remarkable rise through the English game and begins the new chapter after an outstanding 2025-26 Premier League campaign in which he registered a league-high 3,323 touches. Speaking to JioHotstar, the midfielder reflected on his rapid progress, his admiration for Kevin De Bruyne, and the prospect of joining one of football’s biggest rivalries.
For Anderson, however, the appeal of City was clear: the chance to be surrounded by a team with an established record of competing for the biggest honours.
“I think it’s just them being winners. They’re relentless, and that’s the sort of team I want to be a part of, champions and people who win trophies and am really looking forward to working with Enzo Maresca. I’ve watched his teams over the past couple of years and spoken to a few of the lads from Chelsea, and they all rate him very highly,” Anderson told JioHotstar.
The midfielder admitted that the speed of his journey to the highest level has surprised him, even though he always believed he possessed the ability to reach this stage of his career.
“I’m a little bit surprised! I guess it’s happened quite quickly, but I think I always believed that I could get to this point. This is where I want to be, and now that I’m here, I’ll keep pushing and trying to take this club forward,” he added.
One of the immediate experiences awaiting Anderson in his new surroundings will be the Manchester derby, a fixture he has followed closely and now hopes to experience from inside the City dressing room.
“It’s one of the biggest derbies in the world. For as long as I’ve known Manchester, City have been the kings of Manchester. So yeah, it’ll be a great fixture, and I can’t wait to be involved in something like that,” he stated.
Anderson also acknowledged the weight of history attached to Manchester City’s midfield, particularly when it comes to succeeding a player of Kevin De Bruyne’s stature.
The Belgian spent years as one of the defining figures of City’s success, and Anderson revealed that De Bruyne had long been a player he studied during his formative years at Newcastle’s academy.
“I probably said it last year, Kevin De Bruyne is someone I’ve hugely looked up to over the past seven or eight years. Growing up through the academy at Newcastle, I always wanted to play like him, and I’ve watched him all the time. To be sat here in the team that he was doing it for is so special!”
Having established himself as one of the Premier League’s busiest midfielders last season, Anderson now faces a different challenge at City: turning his rapid individual rise into success with one of English football’s most demanding clubs. With trophies, a new manager and the Manchester derby all part of the journey ahead, the 23-year-old has made clear that reaching the top is only the beginning of what he hopes will be his next phase at the Etihad Stadium.
–IANS
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