How Preston beat Derby to Harrison Armstrong as David Moyes green lights Everton exit
Everton completed several deals on deadline day, with the signing of Merlin Rohl the highlight.
However, David Moyes also sanctioned several loan exits as he looks to give his youngsters regular playing time away from the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Harrison Armstrong was sent to Preston, with another loan deal agreed, this time for the season.
Armstrong had impressed at Everton in pre-season and picked up two assists in their Carabao Cup victory over Mansfield.
Now, Moyes has once again loaned the 18-year-old to the Championship to get more regular minutes.
This article includes exclusive comments from former Everton scout Bryan King.
Bryan King: David Moyes’ Preston connection helped with Harrison Armstrong loan
Given the form of the midfielder, Moyes was in two minds about letting Armstrong leave Everton.
This was despite the 18-year-old having interest from numerous Championship sides, including Derby County and Blackburn Rovers.
However, Preston would eventually win the race for the midfielder, with Bryan King exclusively telling Goodison News why he thinks the Lilywhites won.
“I would imagine that Moyes gave it the green light because of his connection with Preston,” King said.
“If Armstrong was going to be around the first team and wasn’t going to be playing regularly, then he’d have been playing U21 matches.
- Moyes played over 100 times for Preston and was their manager between 1998-2002
- Armstrong has now been sent on loan to Preston
- The Lilywhites beat Derby and Blackburn to the signing
“It’s far better for him to be playing in the Championship than in the U21 league, that’s for sure.
“They can always bring him back, but I would think Moyes will have put him there for a reason.
“I don’t think it will do Armstrong any harm at all. He wants regular football; he’ll get it at Preston, and he’ll also get a tough education in the Championship again.
“It will be another big learning curve. The one thing that improves players is games, and the more competitive games that you can get as a young player, the quicker you’re going to grow up.”
Were Everton right to loan out Harrison Armstrong?
Both Armstrong and Everton will be hoping that the midfielder significantly develops in the Championship, ready for next summer.
However, there is an argument to be had that the 18-year-old was ready for a role in the first team.
The midfielder could have easily come off the bench on multiple occasions to make an impact in the Premier League or cup competitions, in what would be a higher standard than the Championship.
On top of this, if injuries occurred, then Armstrong would have likely played more minutes.
However, only time will tell if the loan was a good move by Moyes.
Sign up for the Goodison News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Everton news sent straight to your phone.