7 hours ago
9
Elanga had nothing to lose.
Sweden were 4-0 down against the Netherlands when the substitute entered the fray in his side's second group game at the World Cup.
The 24-year-old needed just four minutes to score after racing through and finishing off a blistering counter-attack.
Elanga took that momentum into his next game against Japan as a starter, cutting inside and letting fly with a curling effort to draw Sweden level.
Sweden would ultimately bow out in the last 32 following a 3-0 defeat against France, but Elanga again emerged with some credit, with the tournament offering a glimpse of what the rapid forward can provide.
"He's the kind of player that can change a game," former Newcastle and Sweden team-mate Emil Krafth said.
Elanga showed that at Nottingham Forest, but clearly found it a challenge adapting to a new detailed system at Newcastle, even after a full pre-season.
There were flashes of the player he can be.
There was a double in the Nou Camp in the Champions League knockout stages.
He caused Liverpool and Barcelona's defences real problems with his pace in games at St James' Park, only for a team-mate to fail to put away his crosses.
It did not consistently come together, though, not least when Newcastle faced low blocks, and there were some bruising moments following his £55m move.
But the Swede is not about to give up.
"He's not got the mental capacity to allow himself to fail," a source close to Elanga said.
Elanga does not have to look too far into the past for inspiration.
Although Anthony Gordon had prior experience of playing in the Premier League, it also took the winger time to adapt at Newcastle after joining the club from Everton in 2023.
Such was Gordon's intense desire to impress, he constantly asked those around him in the dressing room about what he needed to improve.
Gordon became more responsible with the ball, made better decisions in the final third and started to flourish following a confidence-boosting tournament with England Under-21s at their Euros.
Krafth can see parallels with Elanga.
"I think the second season for Anthony is going to be different," he said.
"He knows what he's going to come into. He's a bit more prepared and knows what the manager wants from him."
