The Everton midfielder is on loan at PNE for the season
Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom is looking forward to challenging Harrison Armstrong this season.
The Lilywhites secured the loan signing of the Everton midfielder late on transfer deadline day.
He made his debut off the bench against Middlesbrough last time out, and now gears up for a return to his former loan club, Derby County.
Armstrong made 15 appearances for the Rams in 2024/25 campaign - one of those against Preston - and scored one goal.
The 18-year-old has plenty of competition in midfield but Preston’s manager clearly has huge belief in his final recruit of the summer.
“Yeah, I believe he's going to be a top player, I really do,” said Heckingbottom after the draw with Middlesbrough.
“I think I said at the time, I've not brought him in just as a number, I want to see how much he can add to us, how we can develop him.
“And I think he's going to enjoy being pushed. He knows the league. We're going to ask him to do a slightly different role, I think, throughout the season.
“I'm going to challenge him to get goals and arrive in the box, and he's got a fantastic mentality as well. He wants to do well, he wants to achieve.”
Armstrong is one of four loan signings at Preston this season. Attacking midfielders Alfie Devine and Mads Frokjaer could prove to be his main competition.
The teenager operated deeper for Derby, though, so Ben Whiteman, Ali McCann and Stefan Thordarson are also in the mix in that regard.
Derby were linked with a return for the player this summer but Armstrong assured he was ‘quite certain’ on joining Preston.
His former club head into Saturday’s clash on the back of a 1-0 win at West Brom - their first of the campaign.
North End were beaten 2-0 at Pride Park last season but have eight points from their first five games of the season, and sit eighth.
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