Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong is the academy graduate who fans are most excited about making an impact for the senior side.
The 18-year-old midfielder has been on the scene for a while now, with Everton loaning him out to Derby County earlier in the year.
Having spent the summer working under David Moyes, the decision was made for Armstrong to depart on a season-long loan to the Championship.
Everton nailed their decision in sending him to Preston North End, with Paul Heckingbottom taking the youngster under his wing.
Armstrong has been hailed by Heckingbottom for the progress he is showing in the second-tier with the Lilywhites.
With word of a recall ringing around, the Preston boss has also shared exactly how the midfielder is feeling in Lancashire.
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Everton informed how Harrison Armstrong feels at Preston
Heckingbottom has urged Everton to leave Armstrong at Preston for the remainder of his season-long loan deal.
The issue Everton are now enduring is the number of midfielders currently unavailable to Moyes through a variety of different reasons.
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If you were David Moyes, what would you do with Harrison Armstrong in January? ⭐️
An overview of Harrison Armstrong's 2025/26 campaign with Preston North End.
Credit: Getty Images/Kate McShane.
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Speaking to the media ahead of their game at the weekend, Heckingbottom has even dropped some insight on how Armstrong views his loan at Deepdale.
“Yeah, listen, Everton think it’s great for him and Harrison loves it,” he told Lancashire Evening News.
“He’s at the right end of the table competing – a different pressure – which is great. He’s getting challenged in different ways, slightly different role and yeah, everyone’s pleased with it. We know that there’s no guarantees but everyone’s pleased with how it’s going.”
This all comes on the back of Moyes admitting Everton will consider recalling Armstrong in January due to their midfield woes.
However, Everton News understands that Everton are keen to leave Armstrong at Preston, where he can pick up consistent first-team minutes.
What Everton have told Preston about Armstrong
Clearly, the youngster has made a name for himself at Deepdale, with Preston’s captain waxing lyrical about Armstrong.
The midfielder has been a regular in the Preston midfield and has been earning consistent starts in the Championship.
Paul Heckingbottom does NOT want to lose Harrison Armstrong! 😳
“It’s more his minutes, it’s more how he’s doing. Is he progressing? That’s Everton’s priority at the end of the season. Is he going to be in a better place?
“Their only other consideration is, ‘Do we need to bring him back and play him?’. Apart from that, it’s what’s going to put Harrison in the best place come the end of the season.”
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom on Everton’s Harrison Armstrong concerns.
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Armstrong was keen to impress Moyes over the summer when he jetted off to the United States for the club’s pre-season tour.
The decision to send Armstrong out on loan was a smart one, but it will be fascinating to see whether the club does recall him in January.
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