I agonised over Armstrong loan - but couldn't give him guarantees

DAVID Moyes agonised over whether to sanction a loan move for Harrison Armstrong - and the Everton manager has revealed the midfieler was on the cusp of his first-team plans.

- By JOE THOMAS

Armstrong was named man of the match in his first senior start of the season - the Carabao Cup win over Mansfield Town. After watching him through preseason, Moyes has little doubt that he is a player with immense potential.

Yet the Blues boss was left weighing up how the 18-year-old could get closer to realising his promise this season, having to balance the likelihood of him starting matches in the Premier League with the opportunities that lay waiting for him in the Championship. Ultimately, Moyes sanctioned a loan move to Preston North End.

It was a call that the former Preston manager thought hard about and entered the final weekend of the summer transfer window still unsure over what to do.

Much of his dilemma centred on his squad's lack of depth in central midfield, where James Garner, Tim Iroegbunam and Idrissa Gueye were his only other options at the end of August.