Everton teenager Harrison Armstrong has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
Everton players believe Harrison Armstrong is ‘special’ and that feeling is certainly shared by manager David Moyes.
Moyes was reluctant to send Armstrong to Derby County in January as he felt the 18-year-old could play a part in his squad.
However, Everton decided it was best for his development and that’s proved to be the correct decision, as he’s flourished with the Rams.
Derby fans have been blown away by how good Armstrong is and now local journalist Luke Thrower, who writes for EFL Analysis, has given an in-depth report card on his loan spell at Pride Park.
How has Harrison Armstrong fared at Derby County?
“I feel as though many Derby fans overlooked the arrival of Harrison Armstrong, due to the lack of a striker signing on the winter transfer deadline day,” Thrower told Everton News.
“Given that it was the 18-year-old’s first loan spell, it wasn’t clear exactly how good he would be. However, in a three-man midfield, Armstrong has been an important part of Derby’s revival and eventual survival in the Championship.
“I think it’s fair to say that every fan would be happy for him to return and his own comments on a return certainly hints at it being a loan spell that he enjoyed too.”
What are Armstrong’s strengths?
“I’d argue that Armstrong wasn’t a standout in any one particular area at Derby, but rather he was very solid in almost all areas,” the Rams journalist added.
“His tall frame meant he was more than physically ready for the challenge that the Championship brought, snapping into challenges nicely and doing well off the ball.
” In possession, Armstrong is a tidy passer, more than capable of receiving it under some pressure and able to play some simple passes to keep the ball moving in possession.
“He appears to have a strike on him, given the one goal he did score for the Rams, though he didn’t get many opportunities to show that off due to how deep the side were often defending.
“In all, he’s pretty good at most things.”
Where does Armstrong need to improve?
“In terms of development, I’d like to see Armstrong find a cutting edge with some of his forward passes, finding those balls between the lines to rip the opposition open,” Thrower said.
“In all fairness, the position Derby found themselves in made it difficult to get many opportunities to show he could do that, so it could be something he adds.
“I’d be intrigued to see how his set-piece taking is too, with the youngster not given the chance to take corners or free-kicks.”
What level can Armstrong reach?
“It’s easy to get carried away with young players, thinking about exactly what they could become in the future,” Thrower noted.
“With Armstrong, it’s been a solid six-month loan spell, but there is undoubtedly more to come. I certainly think he could progress to a Premier League level of some sorts in the future, perhaps even playing a solid role in the Everton squad, which I’m sure fans would love to see.
“It’s all about his next move and consolidating his ability level with that. If he can continue to prove he is of Championship standard with another loan, then it’s a very solid base to move from. If this spell at Derby was anything to go by, then he certainly has a good career ahead of him.”
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