Michael Ball tackles the big issues at Hill Dickinson Stadium following Everton's 3-1 win over Coventry City
Harrison Armstrong during Everton's 3-1 win over Coventry City
Harrison Armstrong during Everton's 3-1 win over Coventry City
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Harrison Armstrong has now moved above John Stones and Ross Barkley when it comes to Premier League starts for Everton as a teenager (16) but I came across a statistic online that showed I was in first place for that on 61, some 21 ahead of Wayne Rooney in second.
I was quite surprised, it’s something that I’ve never known. I wonder if I’d have been best mates with Walter Smith and he hadn’t signed three other left-backs in David Unsworth, Alessandro Pistone and Gary Naysmith, what my numbers might have got?
That’s the good part of social media, you find information out that you didn’t know about yourself. So it was it was a nice little positive tweet and good to see my name right at the top of that list because there were some really talented players who went on to have fantastic careers on there.
He’s getting his opportunity. I don’t think Harrison will be shocked but he’ll be pleased by the amount of playing time he’s getting and the level of trust that David Moyes is placing in him.
At the start of the season, we weren’t sure whether he’d be sent out on loan again. The Evertonians wanted to see more of him but again it will be down to his attitude throughout pre-season, in training and the quality he’s shown.
You can’t play well every week and that that happens to youngsters, games pass you by. I remember playing so many games where I’ve come off the pitch and thought I can’t remember doing anything good or anything bad.
You just need to get on the ball. Harrison is in the engine room, he can have that opportunity.
I was stuck a left-back and I couldn’t get onto the ball as much as I would liked.
He’s shown leadership as a youngster. I know he got booked for what I thought was a fantastic tackle against Chelsea, but that got the crowd up and Everton as a team, he was taking that accountability.
Harrison has got the skills in his locker and the more games he plays, the more experience he’s going to get the more he’s going to learn. You look around you in the dressing room and learn off the best that you’ve got and add that your game.
It’s great for the academy we’ve been frustrated for a few years with players not being given the opportunity and when we have, we’ve let players go. It’s great to see one of our shining stars being given his chance and he’s taking it.