beater in the making as 'golden boy' promises 'goals and assists'

Everton have very high hopes for Harrison Armstrong, who has made two appearances on loan at Preston North End so far as he continues his development in the Championship.

The 18-year-old, who recently captained England’s Under-19s side against Ukraine, is considered to be one of the most exciting youngsters to have come out of the Toffees’ academy in recent years.

Everton have a long history of developing top homegrown talents, with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Leon Osman, and Ross Barkley being just some of the standout names to have come through the academy.

The club’s youth system has taken a hit in recent years due to their recent financial struggles, but new owners, The Friedkin Group, have made bringing it back to a world-class level a top priority.

Sources close to the club informed me that Everton were aware of Armstrong’s talent and potential from just five years old, when he first joined the club, describing him as their ‘golden boy’.

The midfielder stood out even at that age, and his development has continued on an upward trajectory. I also understand that David Moyes is personally a big fan of Armstrong’s, and the entire Everton staff have very high hopes for his future. He has a big role in their plans for the future.

Armstrong made his senior debut for Everton in August 2024, during Sean Dyche’s time in charge. He has now made eight appearances for the Toffees’ first-team, including two this season, but his loan with Preston offers him the chance to play regularly and help the Lancashire club fight for promotion…

READ MORE 🔵 Everton stance on out-of-window signing revealed as Friedkin Group target European football – sources

Armstrong: ‘Adding goals and assists is massive’

Armstrong is yet to start a game for Preston but he is a big part of Paul Heckingbottom’s plans for this season. The Lilywhites have begun the campaign well, picking up 11 points from six Championship games so far, leaving them fifth in the table.

The youngster has come off the bench twice in the league for Preston and played 23 minutes against former side Derby on Saturday, where he shone on loan last term.

Following his debut against Middlesbrough the week previous, Armstrong made clear in a press conference that he feels he can make a big contribution for Preston this term.

“I just want my teammates to know they can rely on me in those moments, and I’ve got two sides of my game. I can be steady and relied on to handle the ball but also, I can be a risk taker and make things happen. So yeah, it was good to get on and just see the fans and experience Deepdale for the first time.”

On Heckingbottom’s influence in convincing him to join Preston, despite rival interest from over 10 other Championship clubs, Armstrong added: ““He told me how good of a club it is, how good the people are, that I’ll enjoy myself and that’s all you can ask really. I think the off the pitch stuff, once that’s taken care of it comes quite naturally on the pitch.

“The chat I had with the manager prior, he outlined where he thinks my game can improve, where he can help me with that and it aligned with what I had in mind – becoming that complete midfielder. Adding goals and assists is massive.”

Everton agreed to loan just 30 minutes before transfer deadline

Everton’s decision to sanction Armstrong’s loan to Preston came very late on deadline day. TEAMtalk exclusively revealed that the agreement was fully reached around 30 minutes before the transfer window closed.

The fact that Moyes was more than happy to keep Armstrong as part of his first team squad speaks volumes about his belief in the youngster’s quality.

Everton only decided to sanction the loan once they had tied up the signing of midfielder Merlin Rohl from Freiburg.

The hope for Armstrong now is that he can force his way into the starting XI of an in-form Preston side that aim to be fighting at the top end of the Championship table.

But one thing that is certain is that Armstrong has a big future at Everton.

He penned a new contract with the Toffees in February, which runs until 2028, and there is a real belief that within that timeframe Armstrong will be playing regularly for an Everton side that have ambitious aims to become a regular in European competitions again.

DON’T MISS 🔵 Top 10 most expensive Everton signings of all time as Tyler Dibling takes podium spot with £40m move

Click here to read article