George Pickford has now departed Everton after signing for Southport on loan for the rest of the season.
The precocious goalkeeping prospect has shone for the Everton U21 side so far this term, keeping six clean sheets across 13 appearances in the Premier League 2 – more than any other glovesman in the competition.
The talented 19-year-old signed a new contract at the Hill Dickinson Stadium before the loan to Southport and now has a chance to prove himself in senior football in the National League, with Harrison Armstrong wishing him well.
He’s on fire this season! What should be the next step for George Pickford at Everton? 🔥
What Harrison Armstrong sent to George Pickford
Pickford and Armstrong know each other well, having previously played 17 games together within the Everton U18 side and the U21 team.
After hearing that his pal had penned a new deal and moved to Southport, the Everton No.45 wrote “congrats mate” on Instagram.
It took a loan move to Preston for David Moyes to finally sit up and take notice of Armstrong, as the Glaswegian recalled the 19-year-old at the start of January and has since given him 412 minutes of action across seven Premier League appearances.
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The situation is a bit different for Pickford, as his namesake Jordan is an ever-present in the starting XI who rarely suffers any injuries or losses of form.
The Preston-born goalkeeper will therefore have to be patient, and is likely to need more loans at a higher level before he can even think about dislodging the England international from in between the sticks.
Harrison Armstrong is showing support to several Everton prospects
Not only did the teenager send a message to Pickford, but he also congratulated the 18-year-old Braiden Graham after his excellent FA Youth Cup strike against Ipswich.
Armstrong dubbed Graham the “ginger Ronaldo” as the Irishman helped the young Toffees into the next round.
Armstrong can often be seen congratulating young talents at Everton on Instagram and giving them a boost where possible.
Does David Moyes need to put more trust in Everton’s academy players? 😤
Surely some of these players can do better than Beto and Dwight McNeil! 😡
Everton striker Braiden Graham. Everton manager David Moyes.
Credit: Getty Images/Andrew Kearns – CameraSport/Visionhaus.
The Everton midfielder is clearly conscious of his status as a role model to these players after managing to break into the senior side, and he appears to be setting an excellent example.
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