Career
He represented the Republic of Ireland, and played for club sides West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End and Newcastle United. Anderson was on the books of West Bromwich Albion between 1976 and 1979. Despite playing in 92 reserve team games for the club, he never made a single first team appearance for the club in a major competition.
Anderson signed for Newcastle United in 1982 on a free transfer from Preston North End.
His signing was low key because the club had recently pulled off a major coup in signing England captain Kevin Keegan. In 1983-1984, Anderson played in one of the most entertaining sides in Newcastle United"s history as the club scored 85 goals and gained promotion back to the top flight, in a side that featured Chris Waddle, Peter Beardsley, Kevin Keegan and Terry McDermott.
Anderson played in 41 of the 42 league matches that season. He was given a testimonial by the club in 1992 after 10 years as a Newcastle United player, during which time he made 337 league appearances, scoring 14 goals.
One of his goals was a 25-yard free kick in a game at Vicarage Road in the early 1990s against Watford.
Anderson represented the Republic of Ireland at schoolboy, youth and under-21 levels. This was only his second cap, coming on as a substitute for Pierce O"Leary. lieutenant was a much better result than his first cap, also as a substitute but for John Devine.
That game was the 4 - 1 defeat to Czechoslovakia, played in the Stadion Evžena Rošického on 26 September 1979.
Anderson"s first international start would came in the 1 - 0 defeat to Chile, played in the National Stadium in Santiago on 22 May 1982. He missed out on going to the 1990 in Italy.
His last game for Ireland was in the testimonial for Peadar O"Driscoll against Tunisia on 19 October 1988, with Ireland winning 4 - 0. Anderson retired from playing football in 1992.
He was always a fans" favourite at Street James" Park and he is regularly asked to come to the club for ex-players" events.
He also works as an analyst on Republic of Ireland international matches for RTÉ radio and summariser on Newcastle games for British Broadcasting Corporation Radio Newcastle.