Ipswich Town attacker Omari Hutchinson has reflected on his stunning curling finish against Manchester United and spoke on his role in Kieran McKenna’s side.
The 21-year-old’s equaliser from outside the box shortly before half-time on Sunday helped earn the Blues a point versus the Red Devils and take their unbeaten run to three matches.
The shot, which flew beyond the reach of Andre Onana via the aid of a slight deflection, marked the former Chelsea attacker’s 12th goal for the club since arriving initially on loan last season and his first career goal in the top flight.
Omari Hutchinson celebrates after his whipped strike against Manchester United. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Hutchinson said: “I’ve had chances during games, I’m getting shots off here and there. Luckily enough, the Man United one went in and hopefully I can get some more now.
“I still think my Hull one is better, but being Man United in the Premier League it’s probably my best one ever.”
“I definitely had time to reflect after the game. I saw my family after the game in the lounge. I had a few Man United supporters in my family so they couldn’t believe it as well.
“You obviously see on social media and you get a little buzz out of it, but you have to lock back in, concentrate for the next game and recover as quickly as you can.
He added: “I just went back in the changing room, high-fived everyone and said well done. The manager spoke to us and gave us a debrief and then obviously you see the messages on your phone but I had to do a lot of interviews.
“Then I saw my family in the lounge so I didn’t even check my phone until after that. It was going off. A lot of comments from my friends and family congratulating me on my first goal.”
On the lack of his trademark backflip celebration, Hutchinson said: “A lot of people have been asking me that.
“To be honest I only really do it when it’s either a winner or in the second half. I just kept it cool and composed.”
Much of Hutchinson’s praise this season has come in the recent fixtures against Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Man Utd for his game management, an attribute that the forward has been quietly working on behind the scenes at Playford Road.
Hutchinson also agreed that he is beginning to find his feet at Premier League level and hopes to replicate the success of last season where his levels increased around this time of year.
“From the start of the season my role has been the same but I’ve been doing a lot of off-the-ball work that people probably don’t recognise and I’m covering a lot of distance,” he said.
“Sometimes I might not get the goals and assists, but as long as I’m doing off-the-ball and on-the-ball stuff like creating for Liam and my wingers to get the goals and assists, it’s okay for me.
“I don’t think I’ve had a bad game since the start of the season. Obviously the Tottenham and Man United games have been my standout but I feel like I’ve been keeping at a good level since the Man City and Liverpool games.
“I’m getting better each game and that’s how I want it to progress. Last season the same thing happened and I kicked on towards December and January. That’s what I feel like I’m doing now.”
Omari Hutchinson evading Red Devils midfielder Casemiro. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Like the rest of his teammates, Hutchinson has been trying to stay level and avoid as much of the outside noise as possible, while also highlighting the main areas of difference between the standard in the Championship to that of the Premier League.
He said: “All you can control is the people that are in the building. There’s always going to be noise whether you’re doing well or if you’re not. As long as we’re doing the right things, staying humble, working hard, taking every game as it comes and we’re trying to win games then that’s all we can do.
“Probably the speed of the play (is the main difference). There’s a lot of fast attackers and especially a lot of fast defenders that are very athletic and physical, so it’s quite difficult to get past them.
“Then it’s the small margins — if you make a mistake around the box the counter-attack is so quick it can be a goal.”
Hutchinson became Town’s first signing of the summer since their promotion to the Premier League when he joined on a permanent deal from Chelsea on June 30, despite some interest from elsewhere including German side Stuttgart.
McKenna, who also decided to stay at the club amid speculation surrounding his own future, was quoted as a key factor in Hutchinson’s decision to sign.
“To be honest it was never guaranteed I was going to play,” Hutchinson said. “He said to me you’re going to have to break into the team and prove yourself.
“I like challenges, I’m a strong believer that I can break into the team with the way I work, the way I perform and with the self-confidence that I have.
“It was down to that and once I found myself working hard and all the coaches and players saw that, he started to trust me.
“Obviously I spoke to Kieran in the summer and it was a no brainer not to come here. He’s a coach that knows me very well from last season and I knew I was going to play in the Premier League which is a very rare occasion. I saw that the lottery is easier to win than becoming a professional footballer in the Premier League, so that’s good.”
Hutchinson became the Blues’ record signing in the process for a deal believed to be around £20 million plus add-ons.
“To be honest I forgot I was even the record, I feel like I’m still on loan,” he joked. “But it doesn’t really phase me or get to me. Everyone treats me like some normal boy that’s just come through the academy, no one really treats me any different.”
So far this season, Hutchinson has been utilised in central areas as a number 10 and wide on the right.
The 21-year-old believes that versatility is an important aspect of his game, particularly as somebody who operates in forward areas.
“It’s very important as an attacker to be able to play in any position that the manager puts you in,” he said. “For me, I like playing anywhere and wherever the gaffer puts me. I'll try my best – whether it’s left-wing, up front, 10, right-wing, I find it enjoyable.
“Playing right-wing is a nice position to play at times and as a number 10 as well, it just depends on the game.
“Sometimes you have a team that’s sat back and you want to play out wide so you can get the ball and get crosses and shots in. Then if the space is in the middle you want to be able to get the ball in the middle and drive at the defence.”
Hutchinson claimed he does not have a particular favourite position and praised McKenna once more, putting his trust in the manager to choose which role suits him best for each individual opponent.
The England U21 international said: “I feel like he’s got a great understanding, tactically he’s a genius so he knows which game is right for me to play wide right or to play me down the middle. He’s got a great understanding for that.
“There might be a game like the Tottenham game where I was just dribbling down the middle and I get a lot of space and time there. Then there might be a time where we’re dominating the game, they’re sat off and I’m able to get the ball out wide.”
This weekend sees the Blues travel to the East Midlands to face Nottingham Forest, who have perhaps exceeded expectations so far this season despite losing their last two matches.
On this weekend’s opposition, Hutchinson said: “It’s going to be a different game, they’ve got very fast attackers. They’re a good team, they’re doing well at the moment and they’ve got momentum as well. It’s going to be a difficult game away from home but I think we’ll do well.
“We’ve been back in, training very hard and recovering for the next game. It’s as simple as that.”
Town are set for a more active fixture calendar over the next few months heading into the Christmas period having spent the early part of the season with a sparse fixture list with long breaks between matches.
Hutchinson is excited for the matches to come thick and fast and is particularly looking forward to taking on former sides Arsenal and Chelsea in quick succession in the days leading up to the New Year.
“They’re going to be massive games,” he said. “All the games are massive but I’m looking forward to those games and I can’t wait to play against them.
“I look forward to all of the games, it’s my first season in the Premier League. As a young boy you see all these teams and now I’m actually living it and doing it. Every game is a big game to me.”