Preston Manager Heckingbottom on Harrison Armstrong's Potential Return

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom has been addressing the possibility of Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong rejoining the Championship club on loan Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom insists he expects Harrison Armstrong to go back on loan to the Championship club before the winter transfer window shuts despite the Scouser starting Everton’s last three matches. Blues home-grown hero Armstrong from West Derby, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, impressed in difficult circumstances in the games at Hill Dickinson Stadium against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland and then played a starring role in David Moyes’ men’s 1-0 victory at Villa Park on Sunday against an Aston Villa side who had won their previous 11 home fixtures. Former Liverpool and England midfielder Jamie Redknapp hailed Armstrong as being the best player on the pitch against Unai Emery’s side and given his promising displays, not looking out of place in the Premier League, there has been an increasing clamour for him to remain with Everton for the remainder of the campaign. Having initially signed off with a brace of assists in the Blues’ 2-0 Carabao Cup win at home to Mansfield on August 27, Armstrong joined Preston on a season-long loan on September 1 having had a similar spell at Derby County in the second half of 2024/25. However, after making 17 appearances and scoring one goal for the Deepdale outfit, the youngster was recalled by Everton on New Year’s Day as Moyes had been left without a clutch of first team players. Although there are hopes that the Blues’ selection options will improve in the coming weeks with Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye returning from winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal plus the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall working his way back to fitness, the club are now waiting on updates over Jack Grealish’s bombshell injury with the first £100million English footballer potentially facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. READ MORE : Everton mourn Tommy Wright after George Best and Joe Royle both summed up legend perfectlyREAD MORE : Iliman Ndiaye discussions take on fresh urgency after new Everton injury blow When Moyes brought Armstrong back, he maintained there was a possibility that the youngster could still be returned to the Championship to continue his football education later in the window and as far as Heckingbottom is concerned, that remains the case. Speaking after their 3-0 home defeat to Hull City on Tuesday, the 48-year-old said: “At the minute, as it stands, I’d expect him to come back here.” Asked whether there had been clarity from Everton over the situation, Heckingbottom said: “That can change. As it stands, at the minute, the plan was for him to come and get good experience and a lot of game time. “He’s done himself no harm playing there. I’m watching him play and how well he’s doing. “But that’s not a surprise to David and the people at Everton, they know what they’ve got. But they’re also aware – and this may change – unless David is going to be using him, he’ll probably come here and get all his game time with us.” In terms of alternative signings if Armstrong does remain at parent club Everton, the Barnsley-born gaffer remarked: “Whether we can get them, you know what I mean? You know what you want to do, if it was that easy, we’d have them here now and we’d just be waiting on what happens with Harrison, so it’s tough, it’s hard work. “It’s not an easy window. I’m looking at the business that clubs are doing and they’re spending a lot of money, so that takes those players away from us. “It’s very difficult to think about bringing a player in when I can’t see him getting minutes. Some we have to be patient on, I know that; some we have to be aggressive on and keep trying to force them to make sure we get it over the line; and then we always have to keep our eyes open for anything that may change come the last few days.”