Harrison Armstrong goes out on loan at Preston | OneFootball

David Moyes has been mulling over a crucial decision that could drastically affect the career progress and footballing development of one of Everton Academy's rare top-class talents.

And the decision is that he should go out on loan — to Preston North End in the Championship.

Joe Thomas of The Echo spoke at length with David Moyes about Harrison Armstrong on Friday. They discussed how Moyes sees his potential and his thoughts on whether to loan him out or not. Here are the words of the manager:

On whether to loan him out

"We've got a decision to make, we're not in a hurry, I think that he played really well in midweek. We'll make a decision, we have got many teams wanting to take him on loan. Our biggest decision is whether he would he be better going and playing 20 Championship games up until January, when we start to lose some players through Afcon, or would he be better here, being in and around the team? That would be a decision we'll make in the next day or two."

On his potential

"I think he's got the potential to be a good Everton player and I think he's moving along, he's stepping up when he is asked to step up. We mustn't get carried away with the game the other night because it's a different level to get to the Premier League and he's young, he is a lot younger than, I'm thinking of players who have played at some other clubs and some young midfield players, it takes a bit of time to get that to come through.

"He's not an England Under-21 player yet, so he's got a little bit to go. I'm thinking of people, and only because they're in my head, like Tyler Morton or Hayden Hackney, who were struggling to make it, they've not got to the Premier League and they're England Under 21 players. Tim [Iroegbunam] is just beginning to break through into the first team more often now, so there's still probably a little to go for Harrison."

What is influencing the Harrison loan decision?

"I think a lot depends if we maybe get a more experienced midfield player in. It's very difficult now, is it better he comes [with us] and he sits on the bench and gets little bits of moments, trains with us every day, or is it better that he goes and plays maybe 20 games in the Championship? That's really the decision we feel as if we've got to take.

I think he's still young, and probably the biggest one that I can think is very similar is Leon Osman. First of all to Carlisle, then I sent him to Derby, and Ozzy took two loans, then came back and just about went right in the team and had an unbelievable career and went on to become an England international at the end as well.

"So I’ve got that in my head as well, but if we don't get a loan, I would have no problem keeping him because I think he's got potential."

An hour after the closure of the transfer window, the move was confirmed: Harrison Armstrong will (hopefully) get plenty of full-on game time in the Championship this season with Preston North End, rather than sitting on the bench watching others play in the hope of getting teh odd cameo here or there at the end of games, when he probably wouldn't be able to influence the play.

Reader Comments (40)

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Ian Wilkins 2 Posted 01/09/2025 at 19:48:36

He’ll have to stay if we didn’t get the Rohl deal over the line….No confirmation, not even mention of a deal sheet..

Colin Glassar 3 Posted 01/09/2025 at 19:56:24

That’s a done deal, Ian. They’re just looking for a shop to buy some paper for the fax machine.

Christy Ring 4 Posted 01/09/2025 at 19:57:47

If the players are off to the AFCON nations in December, didn't Moyes say we need him even if Rohl signs. I believe he's good enough to be in the squad, and deserves a chance off the bench in the Premiership.

Ian Bennett 5 Posted 01/09/2025 at 19:59:43

Hes a talent. If he can get 17 games between now and January - he will learn and be ready for the remainder of the season.

Derek Taylor 6 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:08:29

Let's just see what Moyes decides. He's got just one thing against him - he's an Everton 'home grown' !

Martin Farrington 7 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:16:04

Double edged sword.Squad is lacking numbers of quality in depth.Not only that, the academy whose job is to support and provide first team standard players, has consistently failed to produce players for themMany afforded loans to improve. This may have worked to a degree, but certainly not first team quality. Which over many recent seasons and more has been a pretty low standard. None in recent memory (except Gordon) have even appeared regularly and are basically bench warmers.To avoid Armstrong spending more time on the sidelines, which Moyes clearly seems to know, it is a sensible thing to get him a loan where he can play football to a decent standard, where he can cut his teeth and craft his game.I hope there is a recall clause because depletion is bound to occur if not.

Howard Poole 8 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:24:54

I wholeheartedly agree with Christy;We vacillate overly with young talent.For me he is ready now especially if further signings don't materialise.Shades of Tom Davies's decline linger but everyone is different thankfully.With injuries, consolidation in the League, African Nations & progress in the Cup's still possible keep him involved.A rare talent in my view.

Dave Abrahams 10 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:31:56

I agree with Christy and Howard, I’d keep Armstrong here even if Rohl signs, it’s not huge squad we’ve got and injuries, suspensions and with one eye on the African Nations Cup cup we need every decent player we’ve got.

John Chambers 11 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:40:57

I’d let him go until Christmas to get regular games then bring him back in the New Year when we lose Gueye and Ndiaye so there will be more opportunities in the 1st team

Kevin Prytherch 12 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:41:23

Loan him. He came on leaps and bounds at Derby.

How many players have we had who have stagnated in the reserves with the odd appearance here and there. Get him playing regularly and get him back when he’s genuinely challenging the first team.

Better that than 10 minutes here or there

Gerry Quinn 13 Posted 01/09/2025 at 20:50:50

Totally agree that we should keep Armstrong in the squad, he is more than good enough and has done well - if any injuries start occurring we may end up regretting loaning him out...

Jack Convery 14 Posted 01/09/2025 at 21:14:01

The Official site stating Harrison has gone to Preston. Surely that means we've got Rohl.

Rob Hooton 15 Posted 01/09/2025 at 21:43:25

I imagine many of us will be keeping an eye on Preston now, hope Armstrong gets plenty of game time and thrives.

James Marshall 16 Posted 01/09/2025 at 21:58:57

He's only 18, he needs to play and he won't play anywhere near enough at Everton - good move, get him on the pitch let him gain experience and come back a better player.

We signed Rohl so this was always going to happen once we signed another central midfielder.

Mark Boullé 17 Posted 01/09/2025 at 21:59:16

It's a season long loan - hope they put a recall clause in there in case we need him in the AFCON / busy January period...

Mike Gaynes 18 Posted 01/09/2025 at 22:03:25

I'm going contrary to the consensus, not for the first time.

I'm usually a bit iffy about loans, but in this case I'm pleased to see this club taking the long view and making decisions for the future. I consider Armstrong a star in the making, but he's 18. He won't develop much coming off our bench for 15 minutes a week and competing for starts during AFCON and the League Cup with a player five years older (Rohl).

At Preston he'll get 3000+ minutes in the crucible of the Championship and more in the Cup comps. That'll forge him into everything he can be. And I think he'll come back to us ready to challenge for the starting 11.

Good move in my view.

Ryan Holroyd 19 Posted 01/09/2025 at 22:20:39

Fantastic move for him I think. Cream rises to the top. If he’s good enough for premier league football he’ll smash it at Preston and come back to us next season to challenge for a first team place

Lewis Barclay 20 Posted 01/09/2025 at 22:21:42

He seems to have his head screwed on but I worry that he is thinking “I’ve made two MotM appearances in the two cup games I’ve started, when given an opportunity, what more do I need to do, to get a go?”

Kieran Kinsella 21 Posted 01/09/2025 at 22:24:28

Preston being close to Everton means it won’t be upheaval off the pitch. I think it was Connolly a few years back who was shipped on loan further afield and said he felt lost and disconnected from the club. Moyes’ Preston history and Irvine’s hopefully means we have close ties with the club so we can keep up to date on any positive developments as well as any struggles.

Dale Rose 22 Posted 01/09/2025 at 22:46:13

Really impressed with him. I think he can have the loan cut short if he is needed. At least he will get game time and can fit back in quickly.

James Flynn 23 Posted 01/09/2025 at 00:21:37

He'll be playing with 3 erstwhile Eveton youths.

Lewis Gibson. Remember him? All the years of injury after injury, Lewis hung in there and has been logging lots of minutes the last 2 seasons. Been through a lot for a player just turned 25. I'm happy for him.

Lewis Dobbin is there on loan. Scored a goal last week. Always liked him. Hope he succeeds.

Thierry Small. After bouncing around, he played heavy minutes for Charlton Athletic last season, helping them to promotion to the Championship. Preston NE signed him for this season. Turned 21 a few weeks ago. Maybe the lightbulb finally went on over his head.

Jack Convery 25 Posted 02/09/2025 at 01:45:35

The Moyesiah can pop down to the Dale, whenever he has time and see him 'live'. let's hope he stays fit, continues to improve and gain valuable experience.

Si Cooper 26 Posted 02/09/2025 at 01:51:05

Should develop his leadership traits as much as his technical ones.With his undoubted talent he will be a big fish in a small pond and if he has the right stuff (which we all believe) then he will rise to the task and speed up his development accordingly.

Lee Courtliff 27 Posted 02/09/2025 at 08:02:17

Good move for him and us. He'll be playing at a decent level with a a couple of players he already knows, and doesn't have to leave home.

If he doesn't develop into a truly Premier League standard player, this move will ensure we get a decent fee for him from a Championship club...if he plays well.

Good luck, lad.

Chris Cole 28 Posted 02/09/2025 at 09:43:27

Players only improve by playing so I'm all for a loan, but disappointed it's not back to Derby as he really thrived there despite them being in dire straits when he arrived (relegation zone, manager sacked before he played). he was instrumental in getting them out of the mire, playing nearly every minute and earning rave reviews. The manager who played him is still there, they have bigger crowds and expectations than PNE, and he clearly enjoyed it and developed there.

Dave Abrahams 29 Posted 02/09/2025 at 09:48:46

I didn’t know Harrison had gone, wanted him to stay, my view, because I have confidence in the lad, is he is ready now for regular first football —then you look at Moyes’s view—if we keep him here just getting bits of games and he’ll get more game time with a loan deal, that way of thinking is he wasn’t in Moyes plans for this season— if you gave him a few games you might have fuckin’ realised you have a player ready now!

That’s off my chest now —it’s no use cryin’ over spilt bleedin’ milk.

Dave Abrahams 30 Posted 02/09/2025 at 09:59:32

Chris (28) He not only thrived there he was the main man in centre midfield giving and taking the passes as soon as he got there at 18 years of age in a team that was fighting to stave off relegation.

James (23) Thanks James for that information on the three ex Everton players especially Lewis Gibson, we paid a lot of relative money for the lad and Newcastle were far from happy when he decided to join Everton, as you say injuries spoilt his progress he was well thought of by many people in the game I hope he has a very good career ahead of him, he certainly deserves it after all the bad luck he had previously. Good luck to Lewis Dobbin and Thierry Small too.

Sam Hoare 31 Posted 02/09/2025 at 10:13:47

I'm pleased about this and believe that young players will learn alot more from (hopefully) 20+ starts in the Championship than a handful of minutes off the bench in the Premier League.

My only doubt is whether Preston is the right pick? I'm a little surprised that he didn't return to Derby where he already seemed so settled.

Not sure what the reason for picking Preston over them would be but hopefully it's in his best interests. Smashing player and hopefully he really excels there and comes back next year ready to take up a first-team role for us.

Mal van Schaick 32 Posted 02/09/2025 at 10:20:57

Harrison should have stayed. He is an improving young midfielder and deserves his chance from the bench into the first team.

I hope we have a recall on his loan agreement and he returns in the second half of the season. He has proven that he can be a valuable asset.

Chris Cole 33 Posted 02/09/2025 at 10:24:25

Yeah absolutely, Dave (30), got stuck in too. A proper baptism of fire that he passed with flying colours - Derby fans rating him their best loanee since Mason Mount.

It just feels like our over-cautious manager doesn't have the cojones to play him, so he may as well go and play a full season and be so good that he's straight into our first XI next season. Just think back to Derby would have been better. (Although selfishly Norwich would have been better, then I could have seen more of him! :)

Dobbin was on loan here from January, had some good games mixed with some frustrating ones. Quick, made some great runs and stretched the defence, but didn't take on his full-back anywhere near often enough. Confidence looks key. Should have a good career in Championship though.

Robert Tressell 35 Posted 02/09/2025 at 10:52:28

He'll come back a better player from this - at a point in time when Gueye's likely departure means he'll get games.

For all the he should stay / play talk - who does he start ahead of out of Garner, Gueye, Iroegbunam, Dewsbury-Hall, Alcaraz, Rohl and possibly Grealish if played centrally? He has 3 players ahead of him as a sub option in that company.

We are overloaded in this area of the pitch, so he wouldn't get playing time for that reason.

Dave Abrahams 38 Posted 02/09/2025 at 15:52:02

Robert (35) So Armstrong wouldn’t get many games because we are overloaded with midfield players— not even if he’s better than them?

Robert Tressell 39 Posted 02/09/2025 at 16:16:31

Dave # 38, the fact that we’ve signed 3 players this summer who play in his position suggests the club does not believe he is better.

I’m not better placed to judge him than the club - since I’ve only seen him play for Everton against very poor standard opposition in Peterborough and Mansfield.

Do you believe he is better? If so, why?

David West 40 Posted 02/09/2025 at 19:03:36

He's only 19. Some people are writing him off already just because he's going on loan, or think the club are dismissing his talent.I see it as an opportunity for the lad. Go show you can do it again at that level as he did with derby, playing week after week hopefully, in a tough league will give him so much mor than the odd game here.

The PL is a different level, he's not ready to boss games at this level YET ! I hope it goes well, he improves his physicality and fills out a bit while getting that bit of game knowledge and experience, comes back with the confidence to say I'm as good as Garner, Rohl or KDH.

I'll be watching him with interest.