down a move to Manchester United in the summer of 1995 following an exciting season spent playing with the likes of Jürgen Klinsmann at Tottenham, a decision that he later regretted. Despite missing most of the 1995–96 season, first because of hernia surgery and then with a groin injury that kept him out for eight months, Anderton played an important part in the Euro 96 England team that reached the semi-finals and included Paul Gascoigne, Alan Shearer, Steve McManaman and Teddy Sheringham. In the semi final against Germany, the match went to golden goal extra time. Anderton came within inches of putting England into the final when his shot hit the post. Injuries then limited Anderton's international appearances considerably. He missed most of the 1997–98 season but was recalled for Glenn Hoddle's squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, starting on the right wing in the first two matches ahead of an out-of-sorts David Beckham. Hoddle later said in his World Cup Diary that he thought Anderton was equally as good as Beckham at crossing and was a better defender. Hoddle said he had waited 18 months to play Beckham and Anderton together on the right side of midfield. It finally happened as David Batty was dropped and the now-focused Beckham was recalled for the third game against Colombia and played inside of Anderton. Anderton and Beckham were the England heroes as they both scored spectacular goals. In the second round against Argentina, England went on to lose on penalties. The following year Anderton won the League Cup with Tottenham, and signed a new reported £24,000-week contract in March. After being sidelined during Euro 2000 with an Achilles tendon injury, an extended run of fitness saw Anderton vying for a permanent place in the national team again. He played in England's 1–1 draw away to France in September 2000 and also featured against Italy the following November. In the summer of 2001 Anderton was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool but he remained at Tottenham and his good form for Glenn Hoddle's team during the early part of the 2001–02 season earned his first call-up to Sven-Göran Eriksson's England squad for a friendly against Sweden in November. Anderton was again selected by Eriksson for England's next game, a friendly against Holland, in February 2002. He would have started the game but was forced to withdraw through injury.