Harrison Armstrong and Ethan Hamilton battle for the ball during the pre-season friendly match at Dens Park between Everton and Dundee(Image: Malcolm Mackenzie/PA Wire)
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Of the many questions to be answered over the course of Everton's pre-season, one concerns the immediate future of Harrison Armstrong.
It's been a summer of change at the academy. Those changes have been brought about to unlock the potential of the young players the club has on its books with the ultimate aim being getting more of them into the first team.
The poster boy for that is Armstrong, who is the only player to have come through the Blues' youth system who is currently a full-time member of David Moyes' senior squad.
The 19-year-old showed in his 15 appearances for Everton last season, either side of his loan spell at Preston North End, that he was not out of place.
And no doubt having had a taste of life in the Premier League, he will be determined to get more minutes under his belt in the coming campaign.
The difficultly for Armstrong, and two other young midfielders of promise, Tim Iroegbunam and Merlin Rohl, is that while it remains to be seen if Idrissa Gueye returns, competition in the centre of the park will be fiercer than ever following the arrival of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough.
While the Championship Player of the Season has yet to play a minute in the top flight, it would be surprise if he is not, at least, competing for a place in Moyes' starting line-up.
Hackney could not have much better references with Bryan Robson - the former Manchester United and England captain and one of the greatest midfielders of his generation - this week saying: “Hackney is a really good signing by Everton. I think he’s been Middlesbrough’s best player.
“I’ve watched quite a bit of Boro and every time I watched them he was nearly always the best player on the park.
“Everton have done a good bit of business there. I think David Moyes and Everton have struck gold to get him.”
The 24-year-old watched on from the stands as the Blues kicked-off their pre-season preparations with a 4-0 win at Dundee on Saturday.
And with Garner complaining of a groin problem, Armstrong started the friendly alongside Iroegbunam in centre of midfield, and both produced competent displays.
With interest from promoted duo Hull City and Ipswich Town, it will be intriguing to see if Everton allow Iroegbunam to leave this summer if an acceptable bid is forthcoming.
But while there is surely no chance the club would sanction a permanent departure for Armstrong, interest in the Academy graduate will be strong if another loan is a possibility, both from at home and abroad.
The England Under-19 international excelled in the first half of last season at Preston and Moyes thought long and hard about to whether to recall him in January.
Given the squad issues the Blues boss was facing at that time, it was the right decision to bring Armstrong back early and his display in the superb win at Aston Villa, in particular, underlined the belief that he is a future star.
That was one of five straight starts for the teenager but after playing 73 minutes of the harsh 1-0 home loss to Manchester United on February 23, he had to settle for four cameo appearances off the bench - the best of which came when he did his upmost to enliven a dreadfully out of sorts Everton side in the final-day 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
That will have acted as a reminder, if one was needed, of Armstrong's talents.
But the question the club will now have to answer before the transfer window closes on September 1 is would it be better served sending the West Derby-born midfielder out on loan if he is not going to be a regular starter.
There is plenty of time before then, of course, and Armstrong's pathway to the first XI could become clearer if an Iroegbunam or even a Carlos Alcaraz were to leave.
But while the Blues have recruited smartly this summer, bringing in young and hungry players with high ceilings of potential, like Hackney, Rohl and Tyrique George, they will be mindful of what's best for another such player, who was already their own.