Young Gun: Andre Harriman-Annous

Our Young Gun series gets to know the academy youngsters kicking off their careers at the Sobha Realty Training Centre.

Andre Harriman-Annous spoke to us recently, and here's how the young striker's been reflecting on a season of great progress, with a big 20-goal target still to aim for.

My first season has flown by, to be honest. When I joined, my main focus was just playing for the under-18s, but I’ve been fortunate enough to step up into the under-19s and feature in the UEFA Youth League, which was an incredible experience. I’ve also been involved regularly with the under-21s. It’s been a really enjoyable learning curve – challenging, but I’ve loved every minute of it. 

The FA Youth Cup run was definitely a standout moment. Playing at the Emirates was a dream come true. I’ve supported Arsenal all my life, so to walk out there wearing the shirt meant everything. In the build-up to the match, loads of people messaged me saying they’d be coming to support us, so I really wanted to put on a performance. I thought we did well on the night, even though United just edged it in extra time. Regardless of the result, I was proud of how we played.

That feeling of stepping out at the Emirates – it was surreal. You almost feel like a first-team player. Seeing my family and friends in the stands, knowing how proud they were, made it all the more special. I’ll always be grateful for that opportunity. 

It’s really exciting being part of such a talented group. You look at players like Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly who have already made their first-team debuts, or schoolboys like Max Dowman in the under-18s and Marli Salmon with the under-21s – there’s quality throughout the Academy. But what stands out most is how grounded everyone is. You quickly learn that you can’t take anything for granted – things can change very quickly, so it’s important to stay focused, keep developing and see where that takes you.

I’ve got 18 goals across the under-18s and under-21s this season and I’m pleased with that. My target was 20, so I’m hoping to hit that mark – maybe even go past it – before the season finishes. It’s shaping up to be a really exciting end to the campaign. We’ve got the Premier League 2 play-offs coming up, starting with a home tie against Newcastle United. I’m buzzing for that. It’s another big test and a brilliant opportunity for us. 

The pace of the under-21 game is definitely the biggest difference from the under-18s. The physical side is fairly similar, but everything happens so much quicker at the under-21 level. You get even less time on the ball, so you’ve got to be sharper and to think faster. The step up has also pushed me out of my comfort zone a bit. I can be quite a quiet character, but getting to know a new group of lads and learning to adapt has been great for me.

"I wasn't involved a lot in the game, but I stayed ready, and when the chance came I made sure I took it"

I’ve also had the opportunity to train with the first team a few times this season, and the lads have been brilliant. Declan Rice and Jorginho, in particular, have really helped me out. Jorginho’s working on his coaching badges at the moment, so when we’ve been on the same team in training. he’s always talking, giving instructions, telling me when to press, where to be – that sort of thing. The standards they set are incredibly high. You can see exactly why they’re challenging at the top of the league and in Europe. It’s been a real eye-opener and something I’ve learned loads from. 

I’ve had some great feedback from the coaches this season. They’ve said that my finishing in and around the box is a real strength, and they’re always encouraging me to stay sharp and switched on, even if I’m not getting much of the ball. A good example was my goal against Derby – I wasn’t involved a lot in the game, but I stayed ready, and when the chance came I made sure I took it. 

Looking ahead, they’ve asked me to keep improving my off-the-ball movement. They say that’s the next step to take my game to another level.