Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall sought out Harrison Armstrong in the warm-up ahead of the Bournemouth game, where supporters in the away end fought to ensure the youngster was not sold to Nottingham Forest
Harrison Armstrong and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Harrison Armstrong and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
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Harrison Armstrong was doing everything he could to keep his eyes on the ball. Where his mind was, only he will know.
A teenager whose emergence from Finch Farm was yet to make waves beyond Everton, he had no experience of being at the centre of the storm. There had been nice moments, milestones and landmarks that marked each step forward.
But, two years on from when a shaven-headed 17-year-old was introduced on the right-wing at a pre-season friendly at Salford City by SSean Dyche, his rise had been a quiet one. Fast, impressive, but largely under-the-radar outside of Merseyside.
That story could not have been more different within the Everton fanbase. There was disappointment when he was sent to Preston North End on loan at the start of last season, excitement when he was recalled in January and frustration when his minutes dropped as Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye returned from the Africa Cup of Nations and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall overcame the hamstring injury that ruined his Christmas.
That is why the outcry was deafening when, in the hours before the game at Bournemouth, news broke that the Blues were exploring the sale of Armstrong to Nottingham Forest.
This is a fanbase that has endured misery few others can imagine over years of instability. Supporters were willing to overlook some frustrations in return for the new financial stability The Friedkin Group (TFG) appeared to offer. But any illusion they were beginning to understand the club they have owned for almost two years was shattered by the willingness to consider the sale of that most treasured possession for fans - a homegrown talent on his way to becoming a superstar.
I was at the Vitality Stadium that afternoon. The Everton players carried out most of their warm-up on the opposite side of the pitch to the away end. That meant I could stand pitch side and watch them up close as they tried to project calm while the world burned around them.
While the first XI held a rondo in front of the home supporters, the away end had already seized control of the airwaves. They did not relinquish that power and, across the afternoon, used it to make clear their thoughts on the prospective sale of Armstrong. It was a message heard in Houston.
“Don’t sell Armstrong, Harrison Armstrong, I just don’t think you understand. If you sell Armstrong, Harrison Armstrong, you’re gonna have a riot on your hands.”
Armstrong’s head must have been spinning but he did not show it, calmly going through the pre-game warm-up after agreeing to play. David Moyes had built his preparations around the teenager being available and the England Under-19s midfielder’s willingness to perform was significant.
It showed his respect to Moyes, to the club that had raised him and the supporters who had travelled to the south coast in the hope their team could give them something to celebrate. It also allowed those fans to protest in such a way that they were able to prevent the sale.
Before that happy-ish ending to a saga that has damaged TFG’s standing, the players broke from their rondo. As Armstrong turned away he was stopped by Dewsbury-Hall, who sought him out for a fleeting interaction that may have meant a lot.
“I just said the best thing he can do today is play how he has been playing”, Dewsbury-Hall explained when I brought up that moment to him last week.
“For any player to be in that situation [let alone] a 19-year-old it is tough. To be fair to him, he took it in his stride. He is so mature for his age, he is impressive. He ended up playing really well that game which is a testament to how he is.”
There had been no escaping the strength of feeling of the fans that afternoon. Dewsbury-Hall continued: “They definitely made their feelings known and obviously it worked. Big credit to them for that. To be fair, they were amazing that day. And I know for a fact it made Harrison feel very good and it helped him. He’s had great start to the season. So that’s going to help his confidence even more.
“And it’s just nice that we managed to stick a late equaliser in to give them something to go home with because maybe that bit of news was a bit of negative news at the start of the day, so it was nice to finish it in a more positive way.”
Dewsbury-Hall’s intervention was no accident. He sees himself as a senior player and, having established himself as a talisman on the pitch in his first season at Everton, now he wants to be a voice of influence in the dressing room.
His team-mates want that, too. They voted him into a leadership group that also contains Jordan Pickford, James Tarkowski and James Garner this summer.
So seeking out Armstrong at a moment of heightened emotion was part of his duty to the youngster, one he sees himself as a mentor towards.
“I really like Harrison,” Dewsbury-Hall said. “He’s a very good player for his age, there’s no question about that, but he’s also a great lad.
“He is a very confident lad. He’s actually respected in the dressing room, for such a young lad. He is a similar position to me. If there is anything I can help him with then I will. I mean, shooting’s definitely one because his shooting is, sometimes, not the best, and I’ve told him that many times.
“We always joke about it. But he’s got pretty much everything else but that. Anything he needs, I’m going to help him and you’ll see him - the more he plays, he’ll get better and better.”
Armstrong, surprisingly given the highlights reel Dewsbury-Hall has already curated in a season and five games at Everton, argues he has the better shot. “He always likes to say he’s got a better strike than me, so I just say to him, just go and look at the Palace one or then go and look at the Wolves goal [from the 3-2 league win at Molineux last season],” said Dewsbury-Hall. “There’s a joke and he’s always laughing, but we have that good banter, he’s a great lad.”
I’ve spoken with Dewsbury-Hall. about stepping up to help fill the void left by Seamus Coleman already this summer, and it is something he sees as incumbent on him as a senior player - even if he is aware the gap cannot be completely filled.
He said: “Losing Seamus leaves a massive, massive hole. Tarky is club captain now, which is great for him, but there’s a leadership group now which maybe we didn’t have in the past.
“But because Seamus has left such a big hole we need a group of experienced lads to crack on together and keep the standards high and drive things. That’s something I’m continuing to try and help with.
“I’ve been here a year now, settled in well, I’m not a new player anymore. I want to build something and be a main player.”
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