A young Everton player is looking for big progress as early January move plans get underway.

How quickly senior midfielders get better from injuries will affect Harrison Armstrong’s ability to get practice somewhere else.

Players interested in Everton youngster Harrison Armstrong are already signing up before the January transfer window opens. Six months have been amazing for the 17-year-old, who got Sean Dyche’s attention after stepping up during preseason when the senior team had illness problems.

The versatile player came off the bench in the friendly against Salford City and then kept his spot in the first team, standing out especially in his short appearance against Preston North End.

Since then, he has played his first game with the first team as a late substitute at Tottenham Hotspur and his first game at Goodison as a starter against Southampton after coming on as a substitute against Doncaster Rovers in the Carrington Cup.

After playing senior football, his name grew, which led to him being called up to the England U18s and interest in his services, including from Football League clubs that want to borrow him in the new year. Recently, he got a goal for Everton U21s against Accrington Stanley’s senior team in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, which made him even more popular. Reports say that teams in League One and even the Championship are keeping an eye on him.

After that, Armstrong was back with the first team for the Premier League loss at Southampton. His importance to Dyche has grown in recent weeks as central midfielders Tim Iroegbunam and James Garner have been seriously hurt.

Any choice about Armstrong in January will depend on how well those two handle their comeback. Dyche has been open about the idea of letting the star kid and another school star, Roman Dixon, go on loan.

He said last month, “We are moving quickly on these young players, which is probably sometimes a little unfair, but not unfair for them, because if you’re a young lad, you’re buzzing, you’re playing for Everton, that’s great, and you’re training with the first team, you’re playing, or you’re just there on the bench, that’s amazing.”

It’s hard on them sometimes because of how we’re trying to get them ready. The young player in me would say, “I don’t care, I want to be a part of Everton,” so it’s a coin toss. But you know that the steps are important because you’ve played the game for years. Additionally, some of these players should have been sent on loan. Although, because of the situation, they are thrown right into life with the first team.