LONG READ
DIGGING DEEP
By Mike Taylor
In a fascinatingly honest catch-up with the Official Matchday Programme, JACK HARRISON discusses frustration at some of his own performances, the measures he has taken to recapture the best version of himself, and why the passion that surrounds Everton will never stop driving him to demand more from himself…
It’s easy to cast aspersions on Premier League footballers, particularly when times get tough.
It is, after all, a hugely-privileged position, one that billions of supporters around the world would trade for in an instant.
However, take a step back – a difficult process in the tribalistic landscape of football – and, more often than not, you find a person trying to make sense of the situation, doubling down efforts to discover momentum-shifting moments and exhausting new avenues to recapture the best version of themselves.
All of that is true in the case of Jack Harrison.
The winger’s deflected goal – his first of the current campaign – in the 1-1 draw with Wolves last weekend helped the Blues extend their unbeaten run in the league to eight games, but the strike itself felt like a significant moment for the 28-year-old.
“Look, it’s been a tough year for me and performances so far this season haven’t been the best,” says Harrison. “But I think I’m starting to turn things around a little bit now. I’m very happy at this football club. Things haven’t been going as I’d have wanted them to on the pitch but I’ve been very happy in terms of the Club and everything around it, and I’m just hoping I can contribute more to the performance side of things now and start adding some more goals, more assists and contributing to the team’s success.”
After being named in David Moyes’ first starting XI since retaking the managerial reigns at Goodison Park exactly two months ago to the day, Harrison was forced to bide his time with a short spell out of the team.
The door opened again when he replaced the injured Iliman Ndiaye in last month’s memorable Merseyside derby and, ahead of last Saturday’s trip to Molineux, Moyes laid down a challenge to both Harrison and fellow winger Jesper Lindstrøm to combine their impressively industrious work-rate with more goals and assists.
Fittingly, the pair combined for the opening goal in the West Midlands, with Lindstrøm registering an assist for Harrison’s effort.
Guidance from Moyes, Harrison says, has been useful in helping him regain confidence.
“A new manager coming in can always be an opportunity [for a fresh start],” reflects Everton’s No.11. “I think the first game that I played against Aston Villa wasn’t the best. It was a tough game to play in and then there was a little difficult period for myself, where I came out of the team and I just needed to take a step back and think, ‘Okay, what do I really need to do to get back in the team at this point?’
“And then, you know, it’s unfortunate but we’ve had a lot of injuries which has given me the opportunity to play again, and I’ve just tried to take advantage of this opportunity and make the most of it.
“I know there’s still a long way I can go.
“I think the manager has offered a bit more detail in terms of what he wants from players. So it’s good to get some of that clarity.
“I’m feeling in a good moment and a lot of it is down to the manager, while some of it is myself doing some things off the pitch, and then teammates as well. We’ve got a great squad here to support everyone through difficult periods. So, all of that coming together, I think hopefully we can have a good run on to the end of the season.”
Harrison’s physical fitness is striking. A meticulous approach is followed and constant monitoring of data ensures he can maintain optimal condition all-year round.
And the Stoke-on-Trent-born wide man is equally conscientious regarding his mental wellbeing.
That has led to new daily routines recently, with no stone left unturned in a bid to rediscover last term’s form that led to a second season-long loan spell with the Toffees.
“I think the mental side of it is really important, especially during times of difficulty,” he explains. “When I wake up in the morning I try to do 10 minutes of meditation before I get out of bed. I take some deep breaths and then get into a 10-minute meditation phase. I have some affirmations that I tell myself to start the day, then I get in my car and play my music loud on the way into training, so there’s a balance there!
“I also practice gratitude, which I think is a good place to start. I started a notebook, which I will write in each night some things I’m grateful for that have happened in the day.
“These are things I’ve done before but I find myself returning to them in times of difficulty. It’s like everyone – life has its ups and downs and it’s important to do what you can to navigate through those tough times. I’ve found these things helped me get back to a better version of myself.”
The passion Evertonians show for their Club can make it an addictive thrill to be involved in as player, each action roared on with unwavering intensity. That depth of feeling and those outbursts of emotion give meaning to it all – and are what makes the Club a coveted one to represent.
It can also make for a pressure-cooker environment in testing times – but Harrison is well aware you can’t have one without the other.
“You see how much people care about this Club... The past few years have been difficult but, even in
those times, you see moments of greatness from the fans in terms of the passion they show."
“You see how much people care about this club,” says Harrison. “Just generally, the past few years for Everton have been difficult, with points deductions, relegation battles and everything else. But, even in
those times, you see the flip side of it with moments of greatness from the fans in terms of the passion they show, like when we’ve been on runs after setbacks like the points deductions, when we’ve got ourselves out of trouble, when we’ve won derby games and things like that. Even last month with the derby, it was a draw but the excitement and the energy you feel inside the stadium is something you really feel as a player and as a team. In those moments, it’s incredible and being part of that is something that is very exciting.
“On a personal level, it’s been difficult and frustrating so far this season because I always want to be at my best and when you’re doing absolutely everything you can but it’s still not coming off, that can be really frustrating for everyone – myself and the fans. For me, I feel like I’m letting a bunch of people down and that can be quite difficult to deal with at times.
“I know at times I can be a people pleaser, so I’ve tried to take time for myself away from football, which I think is really important – getting back to knowing what’s best for you.
“I’m learning through it all. There are always ways you can learn as a footballer. I like to be open-minded and have a growth mindset so I always like to think of myself as learning.
“It’s been the first period of my career, really, where I’ve not really been scoring any goals or contributing to the team as much as I’m used to doing, so I’ve been trying to understand those frustrations and trying to do something about it in different ways.
“I’m the type of player to always keep fighting, always keep trying to find ways to navigate through tough situations, and, ultimately, I know I’ll come out on the other side. I always have confidence in my ability, so it’s just being able to show it and being able to put it on the pitch.”
Harrison has big aspirations for the future – both on a personal level and, he hopes, with Everton.
“When it comes to belief in myself, I know I can achieve a lot more,” he insists. “I have a lot of ambitions even now. Some people might say, ‘You’re maybe getting on a bit in your career’, or something, but I still have a goal I’ve always had that is to get into the England squad and be part of a top team in the Premier League – and hopefully I can do that with Everton.
"“When it comes to belief in myself, I know I can achieve a lot more. I have a lot of ambitions even now."
Jack Harrison
“I think with new ownership, new manager and going to an amazing new stadium next season – this is somewhere I want to be.
“It would be exciting to be a part of a bigger picture and help a club get from where we have been the past couple of years to fighting for European football again, and then even more in the way of silverware.
“With the size of Everton and this fanbase with how passionate they are, there’s no reason why the Club can’t achieve that – and who wouldn’t want to be part of it?”
Harrison has become closest of friends with another player vying to secure a permanent place in Everton’s future – Charly Alcaraz.
Harrison and Alcaraz’s blossoming ‘bromance’ has been picked up by supporters, following a heartwarming interview where the former – a fluent Spanish speaker – helped translate the latter’s post-match interview after a goal and assist on the Argentine’s full debut against Crystal Palace last month.
“My partner’s from Costa Rica, so Spanish is her first language,” explains Harrison, who smiles as conversation turns to Alcaraz. “Sometimes I speak just in Spanish with her over dinners and stuff but being able to speak it as much as I can actually stems from being with Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds.
“All of his meetings and everything were in Spanish, and we’d have a lot of meetings, and they were very long!
“I knew bits of Spanish from school – I learned it in England and America. I pretty much knew how to write it but it took me a long time to actually verbalise it, which came when I was working under Marcelo.
“In the beginning, there would be a translator all of the time and we’d have one-on-one meetings with the translator in the room, but by the end of the three years together, I was able to sit there in a meeting and understand exactly what he was telling me and speak back with him in Spanish as well.
“It’s been really good to have Charly here. It’s a different culture and I’ve always enjoyed being around the Latino culture.
“There are a lot of different cultures and languages in our changing room but, before Charly, not really Latin or Spanish.
“So, I think naturally, we became close really quickly. We spend a lot of time together at the training ground and away from it, too. We’ve been out playing padel together and we also go and have Maté (a traditional South American caffeine-rich infused herbal drink) together, too.
“I’m just trying to help him out as much as I can because obviously it can be difficult with the language at first, and I know he’s a great guy.
“He’s an amazing player – he’s got a lot of talent, you see that every day in training, and he’s been able to come into a new environment and adapt pretty quickly and settle. That’s part of his personality, he’s able to make jokes around with some of the guys and he’s settled pretty quickly. Everyone likes him. He works hard, he’s got a lot of talent and that fits the characteristics that everybody likes.
“A lot of people – including the lads – forget he’s only 22. Just the other day, we were doing a drill where the youngest went in the middle first and someone said, ‘What?! You’re only 22?!’, so that makes it even more impressive. He’s got all the potential and it’s up to him how far he can go with it both at club and international levels.”
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