 Although not quick on the turn, he timed his tackles well and invariably made good use of the ball.Elder was the very last piece in Harry Potts Championship jigsaw, signing aged 17 in January 1959 for £5,000 from Irish League club Glentoran.He spent the remainder of the 1958–59 season in the Burnley reserves, remaining there when the 1959–60 season began.