Andre Harriman-Annous: Arsenal's latest Hale End product earns Mikel Arteta's trust to make debut against Brighton | Football news

Andre Harriman-Annous pumped his fists at the North Bank supporters then leaned towards the advertising boards, exhausted but delighted, although perhaps with a tinge of disappointment that it was not his goal that was being celebrated at the Emirates Stadium.

The 17-year-old had just seen Bukayo Saka send in the rebound after Jason Steele had saved his one-on-one effort, denying him a goal on his first senior start. But the smart run behind to meet Jurrien Timber's pass is an example of why he is highly rated.

Max Dowman made history, becoming Arsenal's youngest starter at 15 and 302 days old. But Harriman-Annous also left his mark, fulfilling a childhood dream alongside his friend and academy teammate, the next to come off the Hale End production line.

Dowman was of course already well known to the club's fans, following a string of eye-catching substitute appearances this season. Harriman-Annous was a more surprising inclusion.

Or at least it was to those on the outside. Behind the scenes, he has been quietly impressing since joining Arsenal's pre-season Asian tour, training regularly with the senior team and earning his chance.

“Since pre-season, when he was with us, I have been very impressed with him,” manager Mikel Arteta said in his post-match press conference. “First of all, his mentality, how much he wants it. That's the first ingredient. He's desperate to achieve his dream.

“I think he's been very consistent, training with us and constantly giving us the opportunity to pick him. I think today was the right day for him, for the context, for the way he plays as well.

“He certainly proved he had a chance.”

It was not an easy first assignment for him, leading the line against three central defenders, including Dutch international Jan Paul van Hecke. Arsenal struggled to get the ball back to him in the first half.

But Harriman-Annous stuck to his task, stalking and harassing Brighton defenders out of possession, linking play intelligently when given the chance and, ultimately, creating a chance to score with a trademark run without the ball.

The severity of the event, having only been included in one day, let alone the starting line-up, could have overwhelmed another young player, but those close to Harriman-Annous described him as “excited but ready” before the match.

This was seen on the ground. Harriman-Annous was not intimidated. His strong personality is one of the qualities his coaches appreciate about him. He is considered focused and coachable, with a strong mentality.

He works closely with analysts to refine his game and has also sought advice from his sporting cousin Maro Itoje, rugby union captain of the England Lions and the British and Irish Lions. His older brother, Brandon, also played in Arsenal's academy.

A childhood Arsenal fan, Harriman-Annous has long been considered a promising player, but his progression over the past 18 months has been faster than the club anticipated.

This acceleration coincided with a change in position. Having previously played mainly on the wings, Harriman-Annous was moved up front at the start of last season. He responded by scoring 18 goals in 38 games for Arsenal's academy sides. Remarkably, he found the net in his first appearances in six different competitions.

For much of this period, Arsenal were working to tie him down to a professional contract. Confirmation of the deal was announced in August, following his return from the pre-season tour, but negotiations had begun eight months earlier.

It was a long process, but there was always a desire on both sides to reach an agreement and the negotiations were relaxed. Despite interest from elsewhere, Harriman-Annous was determined to succeed with the club he had joined at the age of eight.

It helped that Arsenal were able to demonstrate a clear pathway from the academy to the first team, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri following Saka into the senior team.

The club and manager Arteta have shown their confidence in Harriman-Annous by involving him in first-team sessions with Dowman.

No guarantees were made regarding playing time. The message was simply to keep doing what he was doing, continuing to contribute to their training team's goals while honing his other qualities, including his off-the-ball movement, his technical skills and the work he does to help his team get off the ball.

Harriman-Annous continued on this path, his efforts rewarded with a first senior start in which Arteta kept him on for 77 minutes, another expression of faith that allowed the young striker to play his part in Arsenal's second goal.

When he replaced Declan Rice, he was greeted on the touchline with a beaming smile and a handshake from Arteta, followed by a bear hug from his assistant Albert Stuivenberg.

The challenge for Harriman-Annous now is to seek out more opportunities and relish a memorable night for himself while recognizing the work that still remains to be done, both for him and for Dowman.

After the final whistle, the pair could be seen walking arm in arm around the pitch, thanking the club's supporters and enjoying what Arteta later described as a “special” and “emotional” evening.

It featured significant contributions from five Hale End graduates.

Harriman-Annous is the latest to leave his mark.