David Moyes said Harrison Armstrong's talent tested his resolve but that he believed the Everton teenager's development would be better served by a loan deal
LEEDS, ENGLAND - AUGUST 18: David Moyes, head coach of Everton, during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Everton at Elland Road on August 18, 2025 in Leeds, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Everton boss David Moyes thought long and hard over whether to send Harrison Armstrong out on loan
(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
David Moyes agonised over whether to sanction a loan move for Harrison Armstrong. And the Everton manager has revealed the starlet was on the cusp of his first-team plans.
Armstrong was named man of the match in his first senior start of the season - the Carabao Cup win over Mansfield Town. After watching him through pre-season, Moyes has little doubt that he is a player with immense potential.
Yet the Blues boss was left weighing up how the 18-year-old could get closer to realising his promise this season, having to balance the likelihood of him starting matches in the Premier League with the opportunities that lay waiting for him in the Championship. Ultimately, Moyes sanctioned a loan move to Preston North End.
It was a call that the former Preston manager thought hard about and entered the final weekend of the summer transfer window still unsure over what to do.
Much of his dilemma centred on his squad’s lack of depth in central midfield, where James Garner, Tim Iroegbunam and Idrissa Gueye were his only other options at the end of August.
With Garner required to cover Vitalii Mykolenko at left back and Gueye set to travel to the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal later this year, the resolve of the squad will be tested in that area this season.
Moyes repeatedly stressed he was comfortable with keeping Armstrong in his plans but made no secret of his desire to sign an additional midfielder before the close of the transfer window on September 1.
He achieved that goal in the final hours with Merlin Rohl joining from Freiburg on a season-long loan deal that will become permanent should Everton avoid relegation.
The arrival of the Germany Under-21s international provided Moyes with enough confidence in his options to allow Armstrong to leave.
He hopes a season of first-team football - the teenager became an essential cog in Derby County’s midfield while on loan at Pride Park in the second half of last season - will be more beneficial for both Armstrong and, as a result, the Blues.
Explaining his thought process, Moyes said: “I could have kept Harrison but I didn't know if he was ready to be a starter yet.
"I thought he played really well against Mansfield, he's played well in a couple of games he's been in. But I actually thought that another 15, 20 games in the Championship would be another stage.
“He's 18 years old, there's one or two very talented 17-year-old players playing in the Premier League at the moment, but in the main… he's young for a midfield player.
"And he's still got a bit of physical attributes to grow into. So I'm hoping that Preston's a good base for him, I believe it is, and he gets some game time and comes back stronger again.”
Armstrong came off the bench to make his debut at Deepdale in the 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday. It was his first appearance after a stunning international break in which he scored twice in three games while captaining England U19s.
One strand of Moyes’ thinking in relation to his wonderkid is the number of England U21s who have yet to establish themselves in the Premier League.
With Armstrong still only 18, he believed a return to the Championship would allow him the chance to continue his development at a high standard without compromising his future should first-team minutes prove hard to come by this season.
Moyes said he had followed Armstrong’s international exploits and added: “He's stepping up now, because I think when you're playing and you're around the first teams and whatnot, you're getting recognized more.
“The national teams want to know that their boys are getting games, and it looks like he's going to get some more game time. He did well at Derby, so I'm hoping that he can do the same for Preston.”