The ECHO went to Deepdale and spoke to Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom about the impression made by Harrison Armstrong since his deadline day loan move
Amir Hadziahmetovic is tackled by Harrison Armstrong, on loan from Everton, during the Championship match between Hull City and Preston North End at MKM Stadium. Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images
Amir Hadziahmetovic is tackled by Harrison Armstrong, on loan from Everton, during the Championship match between Hull City and Preston North End at MKM Stadium. Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images
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Harrison Armstrong started his first match for Preston North End this week and, while he was made to wait, it had been coming. The Everton starlet is widely expected to become a strong contender for a starting berth at Deepdale.
But he has needed to be patient due to the circumstances of his arrival. The 18-year-old joined Paul Heckingbottom’ squad with the season underway and with the team in good form that persisted through September.
While that meant giving Armstrong starting opportunities was a challenge, his opening weeks left no-one at the club with any doubt that he is a talent, one who is hungry to take on the rigours of the Championship for the campaign ahead.
“He's got real good athleticism,” Preston boss Heckingbottom told the ECHO after the teenager was a second-half substitute in the goalless draw with Bristol City on Saturday.
“He can get around the pitch, he can cover ground at pace, he can carry the ball well, he is determined to get on the ball, he also competes really well, so defensively he helps the team as well.
“I think he's settled in really well now this week, he's mixing with the players, he's showing what he's all about and he's found his feet now, which is great.”
That settling in process was trickier than would have been the case had Armstrong made his move during pre-season, when clubs in the second tier were falling over themselves to become first in line should he be made available by David Moyes.
That it took until the very last minutes of deadline day for the move to be signed off reflected the esteem he is held in at Finch Farm.
Moyes deliberated long and hard over whether to sanction his temporary exit. The lack of depth in his midfield was one of the factors behind that, but that the Everton manager viewed a player who essentially skipped the Under-21s to burst onto the periphery of the first team just 12 months earlier as a serious candidate to fill that gap underscores his opinion of the midfielder.
Ultimately, the addition of Merlin Rohl on September 1 gave Moyes the confidence to put Armstrong’s development first.
Preston, where Moyes has played and managed, is a club he knows well and he will likely spend time at Deepdale watching Armstrong - as he did when he went on loan to Derby County for the second half of last season.
The late switch made integration tougher for the youngster, a situation made harder by the September international break. Armstrong travelled to Spain to captain England’s U19s through an undefeated run against Spain, Netherlands and Ukraine.
He had barely had three weeks with his new team-mates when he was named on the bench again on Saturday.
When his chance came he was eager to make an impression, constantly seeking the ball in a box-to-box role as the game opened up in the final stages. He picked up a booking for one late challenge but also tried to help carry his team forward as they searched for a winner that would have moved Preston into the top two.
Asked what his message to Armstrong would be, Heckingbottom continued: “Keep doing what you're doing. He came late, which we accept that has to happen a lot when you're taking young talented Premier League players who've been with the squad.
“He arrived when we'd been winning games but he knows how much we like him and how much we rate him and he's participating in every game.
“He's jumping at the bit to start and he is ready to start, I'd have no problem starting him, because I know what a good player he is.”
Heckingbottom backed up those words by giving Armstrong a spot in the first XI for the trip to Hull City on Tuesday.
He played a role as Preston surged into a two-goal lead and their dominance had the away end greeting passes with “ole” until the match turned when Oli McBurnie pulled one back just after half-time.
The striker later grabbed a second and the match finished as a draw, with Armstrong playing 80 minutes.
He was a presence at both ends again, stepping in to win possession and spark a counter that almost led to a third goal in the first half and later holding up play and linking with those around him to create a glorious chance for Alfie Devine to score.
Armstrong was key to Derby’s unlikely survival last season and his performances there have set expectations high at Preston, but the player is also inspiring them.
Heckingbottom said: “He's a driven lad, he puts expectation on himself. We know what he can do and, seeing what he could do even with Everton's first team this season, we've got an expectation of him as well and I was really pleased that we could get him, because I think he'll be a really, really good player for us this season.”