“I’ve had two loans now and I think I’ve improved on both” — Armstrong makes case to Moyes after ever-present pre-season | OneFootball

(Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images)

Harrison Armstrong hopes he has done enough in pre-season to show David Moyes that he can be a first-team regular at Everton this season.

Armstrong made 12 appearances for Everton last season after being recalled from his loan spell at Preston North End in January.

The 19-year-old's second-tier stint was his second loan spell, following a period with Derby County in 2024-25.

Armstrong has featured in all five of Everton's pre-season fixtures, including Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Stuttgart.

Following that result, Armstrong told evertonfc.com that he's keen to show Moyes that he can be a regular this season, despite increased midfield competition from new signings Hayden Hackney and Christian Norgaard.

“It’s a chance to impress and it’s up to us to get in the team and to showcase myself,” Armstrong said of pre-season.

“I’ve had two loans now and I think I’ve improved on both. It’s obviously a chance to showcase to the manager and the rest of the lads and the fans what I've learnt.”

“Plenty for us to improve on” — Armstrong reflects on Stuttgart loss as he pushes to be an Everton regular

Armstrong also reflected on the defeat to Stuttgart and admitted there is 'plenty' for the Blues to improve on ahead of the Premier League campaign. He said Wednesday's clash with Newcastle United in Edinburgh can provide another gauge of where the side are at.

“I think we were probably unfortunate with the result. It’s not everything at this stage, but we definitely want to be putting together performances that we know can get us three points when we get back in the league.

“We had chances but so did they so there’s plenty for us to improve on.

“Wednesday is another opportunity to test ourselves against Premier League opposition. It’s something to look forward to and more minutes for the lads and whoever plays to put a performance in to try to get into the starting XI when the season comes round.”