Former Everton defender Michael Ball discusses the prospects of teen starlet Harrison Armstrong now the club has kept hold of him for the rest of the season
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Harrison Armstrong talks with teammate Merlin Rohl during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Everton and Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images
Harrison Armstrong talks with teammate Merlin Rohl during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Everton and Sunderland at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images
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Harrison Armstrong’s future has been the subject of so much debate this season. At the start of the campaign whether or not to allow him out on loan was a dilemma that continued right until the final hours of the summer transfer window.
Then over Christmas the question was whether or not to bring him back from Preston North End.
Having made the decision to recall him - something David Moyes had little option over given how many players he had missing at the start of January - attention turned to whether to sanction his return for the remainder of the campaign. While the uncertainty continued into February, I am glad it was put to bed before deadline day and I think keeping hold of him is the right thing to do.
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At 19, he is still young and has a lot to learn. But he already comes across like such an experienced player - he appears to understand the game and, importantly, is composed, he plays with a level head.
Another feature I have enjoyed watching is his fearlessness regarding the senior players - I have watched him give instructions to his team-mates on several occasions and that is a big thing for a young player to have the confidence to step onto that pitch as an equal with those around you.
Moyes giving him his backing should now give him another jolt of confidence heading into the rest of the season because to have earned his faith is no small feat. With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Merlin Rohl, Tim Iroegbunam, Idrissa Gueye and James Garner all vying for a place in that central midfield, it would have been easy to have allowed Armstrong to continue getting minutes in the Championship.
Moyes will have thought hard about this and would only have retained him had he planned to use him. We have already seen a willingness to do that given Armstrong has now started the last five games - keeping his spot even as so many of the players whose absence he helped to cover have returned.
The decision to play him out of position on the right against Brighton was an interesting one given Moyes had more natural options available to him, but it showed Moyes is keen to have the teenager on the pitch and that the player is versatile and willing to play anywhere. You need that adaptability as a young player attempting to break through.
Receiving such solid backing at that age is huge. I remember when I was coming through at Everton. I did not want to go out on loan, I wanted to fight my way into the first team and injuries to other players, as well as a bit of luck, opened the door for me. If you get a chance like that, you want to take it.
For Harrison, it will mean being surrounded by senior professionals who he can continue to learn from on the training ground and on matchdays.
It will also mean getting to be around Moyes and learning more about what he needs to do to keep progressing.
It will be useful for him to now have the certainty that he will remain at Everton too - having those questions around whether he would stay or return to Preston must have made a challenging time tougher as he attempted to convince Moyes and his staff to keep him.
Finally, I would just like to end this column by wishing my true blue dad a happy 75th birthday from us all