Preston North End

Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom says Harrison Armstrong returning to Deepdale this season is "an option", if that's the best thing for his development.

The 18-year-old midfielder made 13 Championship starts after joining North End on deadline day in September but was recalled by parent club Everton on 1 January and came off the bench for the Toffees in Sunday's defeat by Brentford before starting Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Wolves.

Heckingbottom said he had been in regular contact with Everton boss David Moyes, who used to both play for and manage Preston.

"From my point of view Harrison's job is to get in the Everton team and stay there," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"But I also think we are involved in a process where the decision is what's best for Harrison over the longer piece.

"It's what's going to put him in the best position for Everton for the start of next season.

"We're an option for them in that respect. Harrison would want to come back to us if that were the case and David would want him to come to us.

"It's valuable experience, he's enjoyed his time here. We can offer him a lot. But if Everton can offer him that he'll stay there."

Heckingbottom said there were no new signings imminent, but midfielder Stefan Thordarson's reported move to German side Hannover 96 "is real" as the 27-year-old Iceland international seeks regular playing time.

"There will be lots of effort until the window closes but there's nothing imminent, nothing close to getting done," said Heckingbottom.

"We'll keep working. We're fine-tuning. We have got to work hard. Finding the players you think can help you is the easy bit, getting them in is the hard bit," he added, while saying fees and wages freed up by Thordarson's departure could be reinvested in the squad.

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Preston's Iceland international midfielder Stefan Thordarson, 27, is set for an £800,000 move to Bundesliga 2 side Hannover 96. (Lancashire Post, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Preston North End and Leyton Orient are among those interested in a loan deal for Aston Villa left-back Finley Munroe, 20, as the Englishman continues to impress during his loan spell with League Two side Swindon Town.(Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.

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Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom expressed his delight after his side's 2-0 victory at Bristol City which saw the Lilywhites climb up to fourth in the Championship standings.

A second successive win in the space of four days was enough for Heckingbottom to label his side's performance "really strong".

He told BBC Radio Lancashire after the full-time whistle: "A really strong away performance. Some big individual performances as well, and a good finish to these four games we've had in 10 days.

"We've had six days of travelling and three overnight stays so it's big credit to all the group because everyone on the pitch has been fantastic.

"I thought we were dangerous all game and probably the only blemish on that game was not creating more goalscoring opportunities.

"I consider Bristol [City] one of the most dangerous teams in the league for two main reasons - how they counter-press and how they counter. They've had the most shots on target from counter-attacks, second-most clear-cut chances in the league, which shows you how dangerous they are and shows you how well we defended."

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Everton boss David Moyes has said he would like to see midfielder Harrison Armstrong return to Preston North End and help earn the Championship side promotion.

Armstrong was on a season-long loan to the Lancashire club but has been recalled after injuries have left the Premier League side's squad depleted.

Though Moyes, who spent five years at Deepdale as a player before beginning his managerial career with the club, would be keen on seeing Armstrong head back to finish out his loan term.

"The truth is that I would like him to go back to Preston and for them to get promoted," Moyes told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"They're my old club, it's where I played and managed. They are doing well.

"I've watched him quite regular and he's been doing a good job. If things allow me, then I will certainly send him back because I think it's really good for his education and where he is at. But we need him at the moment. If he does well then we will keep hold of him.

"We've only had him in for one day since being back but it's easy for him to settle back in. This is his parent club."

Image source, Getty Images

Preston North End striker Milutin Osmajic marked his return to the squad with a goal into the top corner during their 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on New Year's Day.

The Montenegro international was banned for nine games in November after being charged with racially abusing Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.

The game against the Owls was his first since their 2-1 win over Swansea City, where he also found the net.

"That tends to be his stock finish," Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"He knows where the goal is. It's not always the best option, sometimes a bit of guile is the best way to go but certainly, a lot of the goals he scores which maybe others wouldn't, are that type of finish.

"It's instinctive. When he hits it, it stays hit."

Winger Lewis Dobbin also made his comeback at Deepdale, with Heckingbottom stressing the importance of having his attacking options back in the mix as the side aim for promotion this season.

"I know Wednesday tried but that's one advantage we have in terms of squad size when we've got people fit," the 48-year-old added.

"The biggest thing for me is having those attacking options at the top end of the pitch which is really important.

"Whoever we start with, being able to bring on energy, aggression and quality at the top end of the pitch whether you're winning or losing is a big thing.

"To have those two back added to what we had up there was good."

Preston are sixth in the Championship table, four points behind the automatic promotion places.

Listen to Heckingbottom's full post-match interview and more Preston North End content on BBC Sounds.

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Everton have recalled midfielder Harrison Armstrong from his loan spell at Preston North End.

The 18-year-old made 13 starts in the Championship after joining Paul Heckingbottom's side on transfer deadline day in the summer.

He now links back up with David Moyes' squad and will be available for Sunday's Premier League game against Brentford at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The midfielder made his Premier League debut earlier in the season against Brighton.

Armstrong joined Everton's academy at the age of five and made his senior debut for the club against Tottenham in August 2024.

He has continued his development through regular first-team football away from the Toffees, including a loan spell with Derby County during the 2024-25 season.

Can Sheffield Wednesday put a tough year behind them to start afresh with a much needed win?

The side have not experienced victory since beating Portsmouth 2-0 in September and will be hoping to claim just their second the season as they visit Preston North End on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT).

But while Wednesday are deep into bottom of the table, North End are just one point outside the top six and eager to end a three match winless streak before they start falling off the pace.

• Preston North End came from behind to beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 back in November and will be aiming to complete a league double over the Owls for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won on only two of their last 25 away league trips to face Preston North End (D10 L13), winning 2-0 on New Year's Eve 2011 and 1-0 on 29 December 2023.

• Preston North End have lost 10 of their last 13 New Year's Day fixtures (W3), last winning on January 1st at home to Port Vale in League One in 2014 under Simon Grayson.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won their first league fixture in each of the last three calendar years, scoring at least three times in each win – the Owls last started four consecutive years with victories between 2001 and 2004.

• Preston North End's Michael Smith has been directly involved in five goals across his last five Football League appearances on New Year's Day (4 goals, 1 assist), assisting for Sheffield Wednesday against Derby last year. That run started with a goal vs PNE for Rotherham in 2019.

Preston assistant boss Stuart McCall praised his side's defensive steel as they earned a goalless draw away to fellow play-off contenders Stoke City.

"A really hard-fought, well-deserved point at a really difficult place," he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"We defended a lot against corners, throw-ins and free-kicks, and I thought we stood up to that well. Happy defensively, would have liked to have done better offensively.

"They're a little bit disappointed, but we said to the lads that any point away from home you've got to accept.

"We are drawing a lot of games again this season, not that we came to sit in - we got pushed back. Going forward, we didn't pick the right options at times."

Preston North End head coach Paul Heckingbottom said he will stay in discussion with Everton boss David Moyes about the possibility of keeping hold of midfielder Harrison Armstrong.

Armstrong has made 15 Championship appearances for the Lilywhites this season, starting in 11 of those games and scoring one goal.

The England Under-18 international initially joined on a season-long loan in the summer but Heckingbottom is hopeful that the Premier League side will not recall him.

"We'll wait and see. I spoke to David [Moyes] about it last week," Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.

"I'm really respectful that Harrison is Everton's player. I'm really grateful that we managed to get him, and David is really respectful, obviously, of this football club.

"He knows I'll look after him and he'll be in a better place having been here, but he (Moyes) knows he can't leave himself exposed with the tough job he's got in the Premier League.

"We'll keep communicating about it and see where it ends up."

Heckingbottom serves the last of a three-game touchline ban by the FA after being found guilty of misconduct when he takes his side to Stoke City on Friday (15:00) and discussed his suspension from the sidelines.

"I don't enjoy it. I've had a belting one this time, I've never heard it before. So, I can't go in the dressing room before the game - half an hour before or half-time or half an hour after - which I've never heard of before.

"In Scotland you get banned from the dressing room, but down here it's usually you can't go touchline side but you can be in the dressing room and be in a half-time.

"We're still talking during the game and if there's things I think I want to say I'll say them over the screen and then the staff have got their usual roles when they're following up and picking out the individual bits for key players.

"It's me that doesn't like it. I'd love to be on the sideline. It's the same game, it's just worse up there."

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Stoke City welcome Preston North End for a clash between two sides battling for the play-offs on Friday afternoon (15:00 GMT kick-off).

The Potters have won just one of their past five (L4) and are two points behind the top-six.

The Lilywhites are unbeaten in their past six games (W2 D4) and have only lost one of their previous 11.

• Stoke have won just one of their past 12 home league games against Preston (D6 L5) and are winless in all seven since relegation from the Premier League in 2018 (D2 L5).

• The away team is unbeaten in the previous 11 league meetings between Stoke and Preston (D4 L7), since the Lilywhites' 3-1 home win in August 2019.

• Stoke lost 2-0 against Leeds on Boxing Day last year, last losing consecutive Boxing Day league games in 2008/2009.

• Preston have won three of their past four Boxing Day league games (L1), as many as they had in their previous 16 (D7 L6).

• Stoke's Mark Robins won his first three Football League matches against Preston – since then, he's winless in all 13 against the Lilywhites (D5 L8)

Will Keane says his late call-up and last-gasp goal in his first Preston North End appearance since April was "meant to be".

The 32-year-old forward had missed 24 Championship games since limping off with a calf injury against QPR in April but was a late call-up to the squad for Saturday's game with Norwich at Deepdale.

After being sent on 12 minutes from time by Paul Heckingbottom, Keane snatched a point in the sixth minute of added time.

"It's been really challenging," Keane told BBC Radio Lancashire. "I think the main frustration was it was only meant to be a couple of months, then I had a couple of reoccurrences that makes it more frustrating.

"If you know you're going to be out for a long period you can kind of get your head round it.

"It's been tough but I've been through it before. The biggest challenge mentally is keeping that belief you're going to get back and trying to keep positive.

"Keeping spirits high has paid off, I'm really pleased to help the team."

Keane revealed he was only added to the squad after Daniel Jebbison's late withdrawal.

"I wasn't meant to be in the squad, I was doing some fitness work at the training ground in the morning," he added. "As soon as I got the nod I felt like it was meant to be in a way, it proved to be the case.

"I had got to keep doing do the right things and keep ready, I've done that and I got the rewards.

"When you're on the sidelines and see the team doing well you're itching to be a part of it and contribute so it was nice to do that."

Preston are fifth ahead of a trip to eighth-placed Stoke, three points back, on Friday (15:00 GMT) and Keane thinks North End are a different proposition from the one which narrowly avoided relegation last season.

"In previous years games like Saturday might have slipped away from us," he said. "The togetherness we have got in the group this year has shown several times.

"Our away form has been much better this year, we are confident going on the road and hopefully we can put in another good performance."