England were often criticised for not picking young talent. This raw talent, in his early 20s, bucked that trend and made his ODI debut after only five first class outings for his county.
He rocked the international scene in 2002/03 and his heroics earned him a place in the World Cup squad to cap a meteoric rise. His seamless transition from cricket's backwaters to the big time included the dismissal of Adam Gilchrist on debut.
Anderson announced his entrance to Test cricket with a five-wicket haul in his first match against Zimbabwe at Lord's in 2003. He is also the first Englishman to take a hat-trick in limited overs cricket.
Spates of injuries since then have seen him struggle to impose himself in the same manner, with a tendency to become despondent under pressure.
Anderson was named in England's squad for the 2004 West Indies tour but failed to find a place in the starting XI, in any of the Tests. He got his chance in the rain-marred ODI series, where he played four matches, taking four wickets.