Everton's Tom Cannon hails the impact of Preston North End loan and guidance from senior players at Deepdale

Cannon is currently on his first loan away from parent club Everton having starred in their U23s setup this season up until January. He made the winter switch to Deepdale and has not looked back, settling into life in first team football and scoring his first senior goals.

It took the 20-year-old eight games to net for the first time in North End colours but since then has scored twice more, both coming in back to back games over the last week.

After overcoming the longest goalless run of his career so far, including youth football, Cannon is now going into every game feeling like he can find the net and he’s pleased with how he’s adapted to men’s football.

“It's been massive, for a young lad like myself who is on his first loan and it's in the Championship, some might look at it and think that's tough but I feel like I've taken to it well and taken it in my stride so it's good,” he said.

“I'm feeling good, I Wouldn't say I had a rough start because I knew the goals would come but now they're coming and I'm scoring. It's something that I want to carry on doing and keep going. I feel like my performances even before I got my goal were good, I just didn't quite get the goal in some games. Now that I'm playing well and scoring I'm full of confidence and just ready for the next.

“I go into every game thinking I'm going to score, no matter what. It doesn't bother me who it's against, as a striker I'm going into every game full of confidence that I'm going to score and do well for the team.

“I've learnt a lot since I've been here and there's still a couple of months to go. Learning off Ched Evans is great, even the little things like speaking to me in games. What I've noticed is the experienced players like Daniel Johnson and Alan Browne, their communication is great. As a young lad, listening to them behind you gives you a real push.”It will be further into the unknown for Cannon at the weekend as he prepares for his first Gentry Day at North End.

There will be many flocking to the North East and the trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday in order to honour Preston fans who are no longer with us.

A unique celebration of the fanbase, there is nothing quite like Gentry Day, but how much does the Everton loanee know about what to expect?

He said: “I got told about it a little bit the other day, that the fans come in hats and in suits, it should be good!

"Middlesbrough is going to be a good game, you could see the away fans on Tuesday night were unreal. When you have them it's like your 12th man, it spurs you on.

"Hopefully they can come in good numbers to Middlesbrough and do a job. Middlesbrough is the last game before the international break so I'm sure the lads will dust themselves down and go again."