Q&A: Armstrong On Everton DNA & Breakthrough Season

Q: Harrison you've enjoyed a breakthrough season, earning regular football here at Everton. What's it like to be here right now?

It’s difficult to say it’s everything you think it’ll be because it’s a lot of hard work, and it’s a lot of maintaining everything you’d probably expect. You need to maintain your levels every day, when people watching and when they aren't watching, too.

It’s really good and I’m really enjoying where I am at the moment. It’s where I’ve wanted to be since I was a little boy. I’m just trying to cherish it. 

Q: Now that you’re here, does it feel like what you expected?

A little bit but in different ways. I think there are some things – like playing in front of however many thousands of fans – that you can probably expect what they feel like. It’s the best feeling. I haven’t scored in front of the fans yet, which could probably top that. 

But listening to Z-Cars when you come out, and even the away games – the away fans and the amount of noise they make – it’s a unique feeling. 

It’s only something you can understand when you’re in that moment. And it’s the best. 

Q: When you’re playing, is there still that young lad stood in the crowd at the foremost of your mind?

Yeah, definitely. There are moments where you’re coming up against players who I’ve watched since I was young. 

Even playing with players. Not that long ago, I was sat on the couch at home watching Jack (Grealish) in the Champions League. 

To say they’re my teammates now is surreal, really. But I think it’s a feeling you’ve got to manage at times – managing the balance of respecting them, but also proving yourself and showing what you’re capable of. 

Q: What’s been the toughest moment?

I’d say moving away from home for my first loan to Derby. That was difficult in a good way. It was challenging living at home on my own.

Having to cook, but maybe not so much cleaning! It was a challenge, but, looking back, it was definitely something that propelled me forward as a human more than anything. 

Having to meet new people in a different environment and build those friendships and relationships with staff and having to do that quickly was a challenge, but I’d say I took to it well. Going in and not playing straight away was probably the best thing for me. It didn’t feel it at the time, but it let me settle in and get used to my surroundings. 

Q: Do you still feel 19? 

Yeah, I’d say so. I think sometimes when I hear people say about how mature I am, I don’t really believe that! I don’t think they’ve seen the other side to me. 

I think it’s important I just enjoy what have in this moment. I know that, hopefully, in a few years when I’ve had a long career, I’ll be looking back on this and wishing I was back to where I am now. 

Q: You must be delighted having the start to the season you’ve had, playing and starting every game and be able to show what you can do? 

Yes, but there’s definitely things I can improve on. I’m happy with where I’m at, but I definitely want to push on. 

I want to improve on goals and assists and influencing games more. I know from playing football since I was young and being here since the age of four or five, I’ve seen different parts of my game and how I can draw it out more. 

To do that in the best league in the world is difficult, and at times, you’ve got to respect that you’re playing with some of the best players in the world and coming against some of the best opposition.

But I think there are definitely more levels for me to go to. To do that, I have to do the basics wells, but also be myself, take risks and not be too bothered about not getting it right every time.

Q: How is the manager helping you do that?

He gives 100 per cent trust in me. I think the fact I’ve started every Premier League game this season shows that.

He’s someone who has been in the game a long time and has worked with some of the best English players to have come through. To have someone like that with so much experience and so much to learn from is really important. 

The trust he’s shown in me, I’m really grateful for.

Q: How demanding is he? 

Yeah, really demanding. I think sometimes I’ll come off and I think I’ve played better than what he thinks! But it’s a good relationship. He knows how to get the best out of me, how to push me. Hopefully, we can do really good things.

Sometimes that’s what you need, isn’t it? To keep your feet on the ground and I understand what you need to do to improve. 

I think that’s almost part of Everton’s DNA – not getting too high and not getting too low. I think it’s a club that’s very demanding of hard work and staying ground – and he definitely applies that.  

Q: You’re someone who has been here a long time already – through the Academy and now the first team. In your opinion, what does it take to be an Everton player? And how does it differ to other clubs? 

It definitely takes a lot of hard work, especially in the tough moments. The city and the environment I grew up in, you had to find out for yourself – you were in the deep end.

You had to show your ability and show what you’re made of. I keep going back to it, but Everton’s a club where you have to do the basics very well first and foremost, then prove your quality.