Tom Cannon outlines Everton aims after 'perfect' loan spell despite Preston North End interest

The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Preston North End and played a starring role as they chased a play-off place.

It was his first loan away from his boyhood club, netting eight times during his first taste of Championship football.

Now however he is back on Merseyside and looking to impress manager Sean Dyche to have a crack at the Premier League.

Speaking to EvertonTV, he said: “I want to come back for pre-season, impress the manager and hopefully show him what I can do, and then get myself in the squad.

“Scoring goals with the Under-21s is different from men’s football. Now I’ve gone out to the Championship and scored, hopefully the manager has seen that.

“It’s my aim to score in front of the crowd at Goodison. There’s nothing more that I want to do. I’ve gone out on loan and scored at Deepdale. But I know it would be a different buzz scoring at Goodison Park in front of 40,000.

“I’m looking forward to that and I will try as hard as I can do that.”

There is a clear scouse theme running through the PNE squad, spearheaded by manager Ryan Lowe who is from Merseyside. The North End boss played a key role in getting Cannon to join the club, having watched him at youth level and jump in ahead of what would otherwise been League One clubs vying for his signature.

Another who had an impact on Cannon’s time at Deepdale was Ryan Ledson, who already knew the striker before he joined and made a point of looking after the youngster.

Cannon said: “I had a good chat with Paul Tait [Everton coach, at the start of the season], and we both agreed it would be good for me to stay at the club until Christmas, try to bag a bunch of goals and see where it takes me in January.

“The Papa John’s Trophy was good to get going in. I thought if I can score against these teams, then it will hold me in good stead in January and, ultimately, it did. I think it paid off.

“The Preston opportunity came up, and I saw it as a good chance to go out into a tough league, the Championship, and I did well. It’s gone perfectly, really.”

“Ryan Lowe gave me the confidence to play, he gave me the minutes. We got on very well, he’s a very good manager.

"Ryan Ledson, we got on great from day one. He’s a local lad and I can’t speak highly enough of him. He looked after me, to be fair, helped me settle in. We were in a little car school every morning, grabbing a coffee and taking turns driving in. He’s a good lad.”

It was a steep learning curve for Cannon as he had to endure seven goalless games when he first came to Lancashire before finding the net against Wigan Athletic and not looking back.

“From Under-21s football to men’s football is obviously a big difference," Cannon continued. "But then there are different styles, different formations, and even the way the senior players play, too.

“Defenders are on your back. They are trying to chat with you as the game is going on, so you aren’t making any runs in-behind.

“But it’s all a great experience and it went well."