Parks player nets Palace trial

Little Common third team marksman Steven Anderson spent Monday and Tuesday training with the Eagles’ under-18 squad following a prolific start to the season.

“It was a great opportunity,” said Anderson, who enjoyed the state of art training centre, beautiful pitches, fresh kit to change into because of the rain and having towels laid out.

Anderson was put through his paces at the Crystal Palace Training Ground in Beckenham where training focused on drills rather than game play.

Although it’s unlikely he will return, Palace are keen to help in whatever way they can as Anderson is looking to try his luck at a much higher standard of football.

Anderson has been living in Bexhill for the last 5-6 months having made the long journey down from the Scottish Highlands to be with his step-dad, who is suffering from cancer.

The 19-year-old got involved with Common through a friend and it wasn’t long before he started banging in the goals.

Anderson netted 13 goals in four pre-season games, as well as scoring 22 times in two one-day tournaments. He then struck five times in successive East Sussex Football League Division Six matches.

Common even took Anderson off after an hour in his second five-goal performance. A Palace scout who came to watch said he had never been to watch a game so far down the football pyramid.

Anderson played for two teams back home (which is around two hours from Inverness), one in a winter league and one in a summer league, and considered the winter football “quite a high level”.

See Friday’s Bexhill Observer for the full article.