Derby supporter Richard Cusack speaks to the ECHO about how the Everton youngster has fared on loan in recent weeks
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OLIVA, SPAIN - NOVEMBER 18: Harrison Armstrong of England warms up prior to the international friendly match between U18 England and U18 Germany at Oliva Nova Sports Center on November 18, 2024 in Oliva, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong, who is impressing on loan at Derby County, is currently away with the England Under-18s squad
(Image: Alex Caparros - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Harrison Armstrong is thriving at Derby County on loan from Everton. And maybe we shouldn't be surprised?
Evertonians, after all, have been given glimpses of the youngster's exceptional talent during a smattering of first-team appearances and from highlights of academy matches. And from Derby's perspective? Well, loan players from Goodison Park just seem to work out.
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Lewis Dobbin recently went to Pride Park and performed well, while Rams fans also fondly remember Leon Osman's stint at the club over 20 years ago.
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"I thought about this question a lot since you asked me and I think it is because, despite being worlds apart on the pitch, off it we're not that different," Richard Cusack, a Derby supporter, of Reach PLC told the ECHO when asked why deals between the two clubs have worked.
"Derby fans want their players to leave it all out there on the pitch and graft for the badge. With Everton I am under the impression that it is the same.
"Derby is a working class city and supporters of the club want to see grit and determination and Armstrong, like Leon Osman before him, has that in abundance. Osman had a transformative effect on Derby's season in 2003/04 and has one hell of a reputation for a player who only made 17 outings for the club."
For Osman, the loan spell with Derby laid the groundwork for a superb Everton career, in which he made 433 appearances for in all competitions. Only niner players have turned out on more occasions for the club.
Armstrong clearly has a long way to go before matching Osman, but his stunning goal in the win over Plymouth Argyle in the 3-2 win for the Rams at the weekend set Everton social media channels ablaze. It was the gloss on what has been an excellent spell for the 18-year-old.
"He came into a Derby side that was going through a turbulent time having surprisingly sacked Paul Warne just four days after Armstrong signed for the club," Cusack told us.
"He had to wait for his first start, with three substitute appearances coming before being left on the bench against Millwall. He played 76 minutes in a 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough but it's been in the Rams' three-match winning run where he has really found his mojo.
"Armstrong picked up the man of the match award in a 2-1 defeat of Blackburn Rovers and how he handled the occasion, the first time Eustace managed against his former club with 30,000 packed into Pride Park, was impressive.
"Don't underestimate the calibre of player Armstrong is going up against in the second tier - Armstrong competed really well against promotion winner Lewis Travis and team-mate Sondre Tronstad, a seasoned player in the Eredivisie.
"In the games against Coventry and Plymouth, he's been keen to get stuck in and as Leigh Curtis, DerbyshireLive's Rams correspondent, said after the match against the former, Armstrong may be a teenager but he does not play like one.
"In an ideal world Armstrong wouldn't have had to be thrown in like he has but in the next-man-up nature of the Championship after injuries in Derby's midfield, he's done very, very well and is now a key player in a team fighting for survival."
At Everton, Armstrong has been used in a number of different positions. In the academy he has frequently played as an advanced central midfielder, although when he has started for the first team he has been used in a deeper midfield role and playing off the right.
However, early indications are that he will be at his best in a box-to-box central role given he is regarded as such an all-rounder. That's where he is being used at Derby and it would appear he looks right at home.
"He's been playing a midfield three next to Ebou Adams, Derby's captain and an experienced campaigner, and 22 year-old Liam Thompson," Cusack continued. "It's a midfield trio that is absolutely bang on at the moment with all three of them able to put a foot in but play, too.
"Adams has been better in a Derby shirt when laying the ball off to playmakers, while Thompson can do a bit of both. Armstrong, though, is pure class and showed that with his outrageous side-foot volley against Plymouth. He wants to play forward when he can - and that is why Eustace is a massive fan of his."
After seemingly being cut adrift at the bottom of the Championship, Armstrong has helped breath some hope back into Derby's season. They are now just a point away from safety and in addition to helping the Rams prolong their stay in the second tier, the midfielder has a fantastic platform to make a case to David Moyes ahead of a historic upcoming season for Everton.