Jack Harrison will always remember his first taste of the New York derby. Not because of the final score, but because it was when the young midfielder made his professional debut with New York City FC.
Harrison did just that, coming on for Tommy McNamara in the 57th minute against the Red Bulls Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
“It was an amazing feeling going out there,” Harrison said. “The fans have been great this whole time, so supportive. Thank you to the medical staff for getting me back. It’s been a long four months working hard in rehab, but I’m thankful to get my opportunity and get out there.”
Sensing Harrison’s nerves, Vieira spoke briefly to the rookie before he stepped onto the pitch.
“He just told me to go out there and have fun,” Harrison said. “I had lots of fun out there. It was a disappointing result, but it was a great experience.”
Although it was a small sample size, Harrison showed a glimpse of his potential in the final 33 minutes of the match. He had 20 touches, made 12 passes and had a pair of chances created.
“If we can take a positive out of today it would be Jack’s performance when he came on,” Frank Lampard said. “You could see he was comfortable on the ball and the ways he plays.”
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Lampard has been mentoring Harrison a bit while they’ve worked their way back to full fitness.
“I’ve been talking to him, giving him little words. He’s got some English in him so there’s a common bond there,” Lampard said. “He’s going to be a really good signing for us. It’s great to have young players coming in and making a difference like that. He’ll get better obviously. That was a start for him.”
Working that closely to Lampard has been a bit of a surreal experience for Harrison, a Stoke-on-Trent native who was raised in Bolton.
“It’s been amazing getting to know him through the rehab. It still amazes me that I get to see these guys everyday. I feel so lucky,” Harrison said. “He’s been great just encouraging me, little things here and there, reminding me not to come back too early. He’s helped me on the field as well with communication.”
The No. 1 overall selection in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, Harrison has been sidelined for four months with a pelvic injury.
“It was a new experience, a tough one,” Harrison said. “But most of the players need to go through that to appreciate the game a bit more and get back what they missed really.”
Harrison, who played for NYCFC Affiliate Manhattan Soccer Club, was part of the game-day 18-man roster for the first time for the 1-1 draw against Toronto FC Wednesday night. And when Harrison made his MLS debut Saturday, he did so with his mother, Deborah, among the 37,858 in attendance at Yankee Stadium.
“She actually surprised me a couple of days ago,” Harrison said. “That was a nice surprise and it just adds to the excitement really. It’s just amazing to have her there for my debut.”
