Elliot Anderson was not involved for Nottingham Forest against Porto following the death of his mother
Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson has paid an emotional tribute to his mother, Helen, following her death.
The England international was not involved in Thursday night’s Europa League quarter-final victory over Porto following the family bereavement.
It was an emotional evening at the City Ground as the Reds showed their support for their grieving teammate.Prior to kick-off, the club had confirmed the 23-year-old would be unavailable for the clash following his devastating loss.
Vitor Pereira’s side subsequently won 1-0 to clinch their place in the semi-finals of the competition, and they made it clear their victory was for Anderson.
In a post on Instagram, the Forest star said: “Mum, You are the most special person I could of ever met. Laughing, smiling and dancing through every day giving us all such joy and happiness.
“You fought so hard for the past year with huge strength and resilience. The determination you shown made me so unbelievably proud.“I am forever grateful for everything you done for our family. You gave your sons the most amazing life and we were ready to pay it all back.
“All we wanted to do was make you proud. I know you are looking down on us and watching everything we do. We are all together. You are my biggest motivation. Rest in peace mum. Love you so much.”After scoring the only goal of the game, Morgan Gibbs-White held up a shirt bearing Anderson’s name and number. It also carried the message: “Family first. We are all with you.”
Gibbs-White fought back tears when he spoke about Anderson after the match: He said: “Really emotional night. It’s a big shame. He’s an incredible kid and no one deserves this, but we’re all with him.”
Head coach Vitor Pereira said: “Very sad situation. Everyone plays with Elliott in their heart.“The players think about him. My condolences to the family. We are here to help him and we will see if he can play the next game.”
He added: “I said to my players in the dressing room, it is an honour for me to be the manager of this group because they have character and quality. Sometimes you have quality but you don’t have the team spirit.
“We are fighting for each other. When one of us is suffering, we are there to take care of them. That is why I feel proud of them.”