View: Everton youth player can make big strides after pre-season opportunity

Everton youngster Harrison Armstrong could be set for big things after gaining a taste of first-team football for the Toffees in pre-season.

Armstrong came off the bench in the Blues’ most recent friendly against Salford City and in doing so was given his first introduction to senior football as the youngest player in Sean Dyche’s pre-season squad.

Born in 2007, 17-year-old Armstrong fulfilled his attacking and defensive duties as a box-to-box midfielder, and having cleared a late Salford effort off the line, showcased a wilful, never-say-die attitude.

In post-match quotes reported by the Liverpool Echo [30 July], Dyche said: “It was great for him to have a first taste of it. He was thrown in at the deep end a bit, last minute.

“For some of them, this is the taste of their next step because not everyone jumps straight into the Premier League. These tasters are tough and give them the reality of what it’s like.”

Harrison Armstrong one for the future after first “taste” at Everton

Dyche certainly isn’t the type of coach to throw a young player into first-team action before they’re ready, but he may have seen enough in Armstrong’s cameo to keep an eye on going forward.

Midfield is set to be a key area in the season to come for the Toffees, with Dyche having to rebuild following the £50million departure of Amadou Onana to Aston Villa.

While a host of potential replacements have been targeted, the Blues have also shown they’re willing to put faith in young players, spending £9m on a Villa midfielder of their own in the form of Tim Iroegbunam.

With Idrissa Gueye and James Garner the current first picks in the middle of the park, further reinforcements will doubtless need to come in, but opportunities could still open up for academy players.

At just 17, Armstrong won’t be expecting his first-team chance to come any time soon, but should it occur in the coming campaign, he’ll have Dyche’s full faith to hit the ground running.

In other Everton news, Liverpool’s CEO has reacted to the potential impact made by the Toffees’ move to Bramley-Moore Dock.

For more Everton news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.

The post View: Everton youth player can make big strides after pre-season opportunity appeared first on Goodison News.