Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom had a lot to say about Everton loanee Harrison Armstrong after beating Southampton 2-0.
Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong is spending the season on loan at Championship outfit Preston North End.
Preston fans have been blown away by Armstrong so far and David Moyes has clearly been really impressed too.
Moyes is considering recalling Armstrong in January, with Idrissa Gana Gueye set to jet off to the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 18-year-old was in action against Southampton on Saturday afternoon and Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom was blown away by the maturity in his performance.
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Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom so impressed by Everton loanee Harrison Armstrong
Preston are back in the play-off spots after beating Southampton 2-0 at St Mary’s and Armstrong was the star of the show in the midfield.
Speaking to the media post-match, Heckingbottom admitted that the teenager is that good, he makes others better.
“He’s 18 but he enjoys that side of the game… it’s an away performance where you have to dig in and do the bits that’s not always appreciated.
“He makes a tackle and I’m looking at his position when he’s on the other side of the pitch and is he doing the run even when he knows he’s not going to get the ball… yeah he enjoys doing it.
“For an 18-year-old, plays the game to win… sounds daft that but he’s an old head on young shoulders really.
Asked if his qualities make others around him better, Heckingbottom said: “Yeah, he’s earned the respect of the players because they see how hard he works.”
Everton should recall Harrison Armstrong to cover Idrissa Gana Gueye
The Africa Cup of Nations begins on the 21st of December and runs until the final on the 18th of January, so Gueye could miss a month of action.
Armstrong is probably the most suitable player to replace the qualities that Gueye brings, so Moyes should recall him in January.
If they don’t, the Scotsman will have to find a different solution and perhaps change the formation to ensure he has two players in the defensive midfield role.
That will only stifle the creativity going forward, so it’s pretty imperative that Armstrong returns and comes straight into the starting line-up.
A midfield pivot of Armstrong and Merlin Rohl would be really interesting to see, as they could complement each other perfectly.
They’re both extremely athletic, so they’d probably have the ability to outrun most midfields in the Premier League.
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