MLS fans will always have a soft spot for Jack Harrison. The Englishman was a trailblazer for talented players in the UK, when he made the move to the USA in 2010 to try to get recognition.
Harrison spent the beginning of his career in the academies of Liverpool and Manchester United, but knew he wasn’t good enough to cut it for those teams. He took a different route, and developed in the USA before attracting the attention of Manchester City when he was at New York City FC. Harrison soon became a golden player after he moved to Leeds United, but recently dismayed fans when he went on loan to Everton. Will this turn out to be a bad decision for the player?
Harrison Loaned Out to Everton for the Season
After Leeds were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, many of their top players pushed for moves away from the club. Some exits came as no surprise, but fans were shocked to find out that Harrison also had no interest in helping the club get out of the Championship.
The player had recently signed a contract extension in January and seemed to have committed his long-term future to the Elland Road outfit. It seems that he believes he is too big for England’s second tier now, though, and his agent was working hard behind the scenes to secure a move away. In the end, Harrison secured a loan move to Everton for the season, meaning that he will have top-flight football for at least one more year.
Some would say the decision to move to Everton was a poor one from Harrison, as the side is likely to be embroiled in a relegation battle again this season. Indeed, according to the latest Premier League odds, Everton are among the favourites to finish in the bottom three this season, alongside Bournemouth, Luton Town, and Burnley. Harrison could have been a hero in United’s push to return to the pinnacle of the football pyramid, but instead he has a tough task ahead of him with the Toffees.
Will the Player Be Welcome at Leeds Next Season?
The terms of Harrison’s loan deal mean that after the season ends, the player will return to Elland Road. However, there’s a good chance that he won’t be welcome at the Yorkshire club now. The Stoke-on-Trent-born attacker has gone from hero to villain among the fanbase, and there will be plenty of resentment for the fact that he didn’t stay to help achieve promotion this term.
If Leeds do secure promotion back to the Premier League, they may feel that the Harrison is surplus to requirements. Daniel Farke has a couple of gifted wingers at his disposal already. These stars have a much higher ceiling than Harrison, who has blown hot and cold too many times in the Premier League for Leeds.
Harrison’s decision to leave Leeds on loan this season could come back to haunt him. If Everton end up getting relegated and Leeds achieve promotion, there’s a strong chance that he won’t be welcome back at Elland Road. The only thing that could save his Leeds career is if he plays his socks off in the top flight this term and makes himself unsellable.