Anthony Gordon issues three-word message after £35m Newcastle United transfer agreement reminder

Anderson, aka the ‘Geordie Maradona’, opened the scoring in Nottingham Forest’s 3-2 win over Southampton on Sunday as he drove forward from midfield to fire the ball past Aaron Ramsdale from 20 yards out.

It was a milestone goal that resonated with the Geordie public, not least because many feel he should still be a Newcastle player.

Indeed, it is no secret that the Magpies only accepted £35million for Anderson and agreed to sign Greek goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos in return so they could satisfy Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

On that note, Yankuba Minteh’s goal in Brighton & Hove Albion’s 3-1 win away to Manchester United was also brought to Newcastle supporters’ attention. It was, of course, the last-minute sale of him and Anderson that saw Newcastle comply with PSR.

But anyway, back to talking specifically about Anderson, and not only did his goal spark a reaction from Newcastle fans, but players too.

Uploading photos of his goal celebration to Instagram, Anderson wrote: “First premier league goal! And another massive win 🌳❤️” And among those to reply was former Newcastle teammate Anthony Gordon, who quipped “It’s about time” along with a laughing and clapping emoji.

Gordon revealed earlier this year that Anderson was among his best mates in football and would miss him following his switch to the City Ground.

Meanwhile, speaking previously about Anderson’s departure, United boss Eddie Howe said: "Elliot is a sale we didn't want to make. Nobody wanted to make that sale but we had to.

"I don't think he wanted to leave a club he came through and is very attached to emotionally.

"Sometimes it can be good for both parties. We needed the deal to happen and Elliot saw it as an opportunity to go to a really good progressive football club and to play potentially more regularly.

"He's certainly reaping the rewards of those games. I've watched a lot of him and he's done really well. To no surprise to us, we're looking at him saying that's the player we saw for us at the back end of last season when he played a lot. He's got goals, assists and products to his game."

Although there is an obvious delight for the Whitley Bay-born midfielder, the context in terms of the Premier League table is it helped Forest move six points above Newcastle in the table.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who were beaten 3-1 by Newcastle in November, remain third in the table while Howe’s men dropped to fifth over the weekend.