[6] Described as a solid, reliable centre-back[6] (although he played some of his early matches at right-back), Anderson established himself as a first choice player and went on to make more than 300 appearances in his first spell with the club.

[8] Despite having stated his desire to remain at Aberdeen for the rest of his career,[9] on 27 June 2007, Anderson completed a £1 million transfer to Premiership club Sunderland, signing a three-year deal.

On 18 August 2007, he made his Premier League début as a substitute against Wigan Athletic, where he gave away a penalty for a mis-timed tackle in a 3–0 defeat.

[17] After spending 14 months out injured, Anderson finally made his comeback in a reserve game against Wigan Athletic on 1 December 2009.

[21] After leaving Sunderland, Anderson told MailSport in an interview: "It hasn't been a great couple of years and I've spent more time in the treatment room than the dressing-room.

He finally made his first start for the club in a 2–2 draw with Middlesbrough on 16 March, in place of Buxton, and kept it for the rest of the season as Derby successfully fought off relegation.

The deal was signed on 21 April 2010[25][26][27] Anderson started the 2010–11 season alongside Dean Leacock in the centre of the Derby defence as they earned a 2–1 win at Leeds United before an injury sustained in training ruled him out for the next two months.

[28] He returned to first team action as an 89th-minute substitute the following Saturday against Preston North End, winning a 93rd-minute penalty which Robbie Savage converted in a 3–0 Derby victory.

Upon returning to the side for a 3–0 win over Millwall at the end of September, Anderson played a role in seven of Derby's next eight games, often employed at right-back in the absence of first choice John Brayford.

[36] Despite the loss, Anderson expressed his delight at his return and said he felt that it meant a lot to receive a great welcome from fans.

[40] Anderson's first full season back with Aberdeen wasn't very successful, with the club finishing 8th in the Scottish Premier League.

[42] After beating St Johnstone 4–0 to reach the final of the Scottish League Cup, Manager Derek McInnes commented that the final meant many things for Anderson, while Willie Miller compared Reynolds and Anderson's central defense partnership to his own partnership with Alex McLeish during their time at Aberdeen.

[43][44] Anderson was the sixth Aberdeen captain to lift silverware when they defeated Inverness Caledonian Thistle 4–2 on penalties in the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final.

[54] As of September 2017, he continues in this position at Pittodrie, while also supporting brother-in-law, Paul Lawson – in an assistant manager capacity – at Highland League club, Formartine United.

[citation needed] Anderson played for the Scotland national side on eleven occasions and was both a youth and under-21 international.