Stephen Harrison, who coached Anderson during his time in Newcastle United's youth setup, told Chronicle Live that the Wallsend Boys Club product always stood out for his commitment to improving.
"When I had Elliot, there was a game at Everton at academy level, and I didn't have a lot of contact time with him, but the bits I saw in that game, you could see what he was going to become in terms of playing in the Premier League at some point," Harrison said.
"I think the best way to describe him was that Elliot was always all-in.
"Doug Thorburn did a lot of coaching with Elliot and every time I looked at the sessions, I always felt Elliot was all-in and was giving his everything in every single session and every single game and that just meant he stood out."
Harrison described an attitude that went beyond raw talent.
"He loved football and from the outside looking in, you could see how tenacious he was and he was always invested in getting better," he said. "When I had some contact time with him, was he good? Yes. Was he getting better? Absolutely. Was his attitude what you want? Without question. Did I think he would go to Manchester City for over £100m? Maybe not — but you could see he was on the right path and I am absolutely delighted for him and his family."
Anderson forced his way into Newcastle's first-team squad after an impressive loan spell with Bristol Rovers during the second half of the 2021/22 season. Manchester City have now had an offer of £116m accepted after two initial bids were rejected, though Newcastle will receive nothing from the deal after failing to agree a sell-on clause when Anderson moved to Nottingham Forest two years ago.