Elliot Anderson Joins Elite Ranks of Wallsend Boys Club Graduates Landing Major Transfers, Following in the Footsteps of Shearer and Carrick!

WALLSEND BOYS CLUB has been breeding Geordie boy wonders for decades.

Former members being involved in mega-money transfers is nothing new for the iconic hotbed of Toon talent.

Wallsend Boys Club has produced some of England’s top talents Credit: Reuters The likes of Alan Shearer, Michael Carrick and now Elliot Anderson have represented the club Credit: Reuters

But will not even be the first graduate to command a whopping fee.

Peter Beardsley’s £1.7m switch from Newcastle to Liverpool in 1987 smashed the then English record.

Then came the ‘Boyza’s’ most famous product, ex-England skipper . He proved to be worth every penny of the £15m Newcastle paid Blackburn to make him the world’s most-expensive footballer in 1996.

A decade later, the most-successful old boy headed to from Tottenham for £18.6m before going on to lift 12 major trophies.

The now Red Devils boss is currently the only one to date to go from honing his skills down the ‘Boyza’ all the way to lifting the Champions League.

Though will be expecting a similar return for the to make 23-year-old Anderson England’s costliest footballer.

He has followed in the footsteps of Shearer, Peter Beardsley and as one of a staggering 97 players from the club who have gone on to become first-team professionals. Sean Neave became the latest last season at Newcastle.

So what exactly makes the place so special? While the Wallsend Boys Club now just appears to be yet another soulless 4G pitch, magic is still happening within its walls.

England star Anderson, who has just joined Man City for a reported £116million, played at Wallsend as a boy Credit: PA

It all started over a century ago. Founded in 1904 by employees and directors of Swan Hunters Shipyard, boxing was initially its specialised sport.

Wooden huts were erected by the shipyard workers and stood there until a fire destroyed them in 1964. Two years later, work commenced on a new club building that finally opened its doors in 1966.

But it was in 1975 when the club first opened seven days a week and formed a separate sub-committee for 11-a-side football that its formidable reputation started to be forged.

For generations, players such as Shearer, Beardsley, Bruce and Carrick began their footballing journeys as kids at the club before going on to the big time.

And they have never forgotten where they came from no matter how much success followed.

When the original Station Road club had to be demolished in 2012 due to severe damage caused by high winds, the conveyor belt of talent was threatened.

But despite the iconic Station Road building being gone, the club continued to survive, operating as a registered charity.

Its first football centre, located on Rheydt Avenue, opened and today, with the help of the club’s 120 volunteers, a new Peter Olsen Community Hub has enabled the club to once again be the heart and soul of the community.

The rise back was partly aided by Carrick. Money raised from his United testimonial in 2017, and with funding provided by his own foundation, enabled the club to employ a general manager, John Percival.

And the new GM was instrumental in raising the cash for the new community hub to be constructed in 2023.

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer also started at Wallsend Credit: Getty Former Manchester United player and now manager Michael Carrick also played at Wallsend Credit: PA

Now Elliot is set to take over as the headline name of old pupils. The City move could cap a dream summer too as he chases World Cup glory with the Three Lions, having already helped his country lift the European U21 Championship last term.

But the Newcastle lad, who reluctantly left his hometown club for Forest in 2024 due to financial pressures, still looks back fondly on where his skills were forged.

He recently told BBC: “It’s quite a famous boys’ club up in Newcastle that quite a lot of players have played for. I was lucky enough to get in through trials and played for them for a few years.

“It’s a great boys’ club. Everyone wants to be in academies at Newcastle and stuff. The boys’ club to get to was Wallsend. The best players around the area joined Wallsend.

“I played under-sevens to under-nines. You go through trials and then the group gets smaller and smaller – and then you get the final message to say you’ve made the squad.

“There was a scout from Newcastle who used to work at Wallsend as well. He put my name forward. I used to go to the development things before you could sign on at U9s. Then I signed for Newcastle and had to come away from Wallsend.”

While famed for their footballing talent, Percival takes more pride elsewhere.

He said: “The club is about much more than football, with the Peter Olsen Community Hub providing a space for a broad programme of activities that all focus on improving people’s health and wellbeing.

“Even though people often associate Wallsend Boys Club with some of the successful names who have played football here, it wasn’t originally set up to create professional footballers. It was founded to give people positive things to do with their leisure time and that’s still what we’re about today.