Everton striker Tom Cannon opens up as he wants to ‘kickstart’ Preston loan
Everton striker Tom Cannon has lifted the lid on his first few weeks since making his mid-season loan switch to Preston North End but admitted he needs to “kickstart” his time at Deepdale with a goal.
The Toffees academy graduate excelled in Paul Tait’s Under-21s in the first half of this season, netting seven goals in just 11 Premier League 2 outings, and secured a loan to the Championship outfit on the back of this stellar form.
The 20-year-old is yet to find the back of the net in his first four appearances for the Lilywhites, but Cannon told the club’s website (Thursday 9 February) that he hoped to break his goalscoring duck in the upcoming clash against Vincent Kompany’s high-flying Burnley.
He said: “I’m really enjoying my time here. The boys are great, the staff are great, so I can’t complain.
“I just need the goal to kickstart. I’m happy with how I’ve played, obviously, there’s little things you look back on and things you could have done better in certain situations.
“But, as I say, hopefully I’ll get the goal and kick on from there.”
Learning process
Although he is currently struggling to find the back of the net, loan spells such as this are pivotal in a player’s development. Cannon will certainly come back to Goodison Park as a more rounded and experienced player, even if he doesn’t score the goals he wants to.
Throughout his time in the Toffees academy, Cannon has proven he has the potency in front of goal that few others can match, while his physicality is quite simply ridiculous for a player of his age.
The likes of Ellis Simms are the prime example of how a loan spell in the Championship can do wonders for a player’s confidence, with the ex-Sunderland loanee being recalled by Frank Lampard in the January transfer window following a stellar start to the season.
It is only a matter of time before Cannon discovers his goalscoring boots at Deepdale, and hopefully, Everton fans will be able to witness a hot streak of form in the coming months.