Vitor Pereira paid tribute to Elliot Anderson’s “strong character” after the midfielder returned to playing for Nottingham Forest following the death of his mother. Anderson was absent for last Thursday night’s Europa League victory over Porto following the family bereavement. Pereira had then left it up to the England international to decide whether to make himself available for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Burnley. Not only did Anderson start the 4-1 thumping of the Clarets, he demonstrated immense courage as he displayed incredible composure and put in a determined 90-minute shift. For Pereira, it spoke volumes about the player and the man. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Get all the Nottingham Forest latest via our Facebook page “Elliot, I must speak about him. I imagine it was not easy for Elliot,” the Reds head coach said. “The last few days have been very, very hard for him. I cannot imagine what he is feeling inside. “But he gave everything to help the team – playing with quality, taking the ball with responsibility in the second half. He is another example of a top player with a strong character. He is not a person to speak a lot, but he is a person to lead by example.” A moving tribute had been paid to Anderson’s mother, Helen, pre-match. The midfielder had laid a bouquet of flowers in the centre circle ahead of kick-off, while teammate Neco Williams had walked out alongside him and placed a shirt bearing the No.8 and ‘mum’ on the pitch. WORLD CUP LEGENDS: The stars who lit up football’s greatest tournament – Buy the Special Edition today The entire stadium then stood for an emotional minute’s applause, with Anderson somehow managing to keep it together. The City Ground crowd continued to get right behind him during the game as the ‘Geordie Maradona’ chant was regularly heard. Hat-trick hero Morgan Gibbs-White, who had held up a shirt showing support for Anderson when he scored the winner against Porto in midweek, said of the 23-year-old: “He is massive for us, and his decision to come back in is down to him – and it came out as the right decision. It is a horrible moment right now, that’s it.” Gibbs-White’s treble clinched a huge result for the hosts as they extended their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions. Substitute Igor Jesus added the final flourish to the scoreline late on, with Forest moving five points clear of the relegation zone courtesy of the victory.