With five starts in the last 5 games, he didn’t waste a single minute in January. Moreover, in the last game against Sampdoria, he also dished out his first assist, delivering the key pass to Vavassori. 2024 is proving itself rewarding for Daniel Armstrong, the left Finnish winger now in his third season as a Nerazzurro. The 05s’ player is a true jack-of-all-trades for Atalanta Primavera: “Being a multitasker on the pitch is a key quality. While in my earlier days, I used to play as a left winger, I backtracked as time went by. Here at Atalanta, I’ve played both as a midfielder and a wingback, meanwhile, I’ve also tried my hand as a centre-back in the National team. I don the Suomi colours with utmost pride, imagine my added feelings when I was given the honour of sporting the captain’s armband”.

He landed in Italy all the way from Finland to chase an early dream. “A football has always been a ubiquitous presence in our home. I’ve been landing my kicks even before taking my first steps. Then, as soon as I turned 6, I joined Ilves Tampere, where I stayed for the following 10 years before Atalanta came knocking on my doors in 2021. To me it was a great leap, a step I was willing to take: despite the nervousness during my tryout, which I still recall vividly, it panned out well. Then, I took up residence at the Casa del Giovane, where I took Italian lessons twice per week, which stood me in good stead now that I can speak and understand the language. All my friends back in Finland have become die-hard Atalanta fans: from submerging me with questions and never missing out on a match to “begging” for my shirt on end (he says grinning, ed). Back at home, I cherish Kanté’s signed kit, one of my absolute idols. I’ve been a staunch Chelsea supporter throughout my childhood: in addition to Drogba, I was captivated by the likes of Essien, Matic and, as I was saying, Kanté. I really dig Leeds midfielder Glen Kamara, a fellow Finnish just like myself. Meanwhile, Pašalić is my role model here at Atalanta: when I was pitted against him during my first joined-up session with the first team, his quality and strength were the attributes that stood out the most”.

Football has always been a family business for the Armstrongs: “My father Keith was a striker, with a “background” in various English teams, among which Sunderland. Even though I didn’t have a chance to see him play, because I was a child when his training career already started, I did some overdue catch-up with his past videos. Now, he never misses a single match of mine, always giving me tips, always exchanging views: he always told me the value of hard work and of looking upon my mistakes to correct them and improve”.

“Plus – Daniel goes on – my father always encouraged me to take up as many different sports as possible: be it basket, ice hockey, martial arts such as taekwondo or boxing. I still enjoy doing it whenever I come back to Finland. It goes without saying, football has always been my first and true love. I have a younger brother, Oliver: four years younger than me, he plays as a centreback for Ilves. We have got a backyard at home where we either challenge each other or our neighbours in 1vs1 or 2vs2 trials, practically every day in summer. During the winter, we go to a nearby lake playing ice hockey instead. I was born and bred in Tempere, 200km north of Helsinki, where the climate is a whole different story compared to Italy. I still recall that, when I first landed in Bergamo, it must have been like 40 degrees, something that came off as a shock to me: it never gets that warm in Finland, actually, it’s usually snowy with temperatures plummeting all the way to -20 degrees. I still recall that time when, aged 11 or 12, I cycled all the way to the football field carrying a shovel. To avoid that, especially during the colder months, we also have indoor fields. About my hobbies? While I really dig listening to music, some of my Finnish mates have given vent to their artistic side: some raps, others play in a band. In my free time, I like to either go sailing and fishing or take a sauna with my grandparents in their woodland lodge. And what better way to crown our sauna session than taking an ice-cold dip in a nearby lake”.