Jack Harrison has been a positive addition to the New England Revolution's training environment.
The 29-year-old brings 11 years of professional experience in the top leagues of England, Italy, and the United States.
His 54 goals and 50 assists in 375 appearances speak to his on-field quality. His day-to-day actions highlight his grounded personality.
"[Harrison] has great working habits, and really is someone who has a great mindset coming here every day," head coach Marko Mitrovic said. "We always say that players have certain qualities to help the team, but on the other side we have a certain environment that we want to create.
"It’s not just Jack, every player on this team is coming here with a great mindset to maximize every day and give everything. Jack is a great addition to that – another player who can reinforce the behavior that we want to instill here every day."
Harrison's knowledge and skill have already proven an asset to the Revolution, who has a host of young players. Mitrovic's starting lineup against the Houston Dynamo featured seven players 26 or younger, including five younger than 23.
“Of course, [Harrison] has a ton of really important experience for us, especially for me as a young player," Ethan Kohler said. "I've already tried to pick his brain a few times. You can just see the speed at which he plays, the rhythm he plays, just the sharpness in his movements. For me, it's inspiring to see, and I'm sure for a lot of the other guys.
"When you have someone who comes in and sets the standard so high, it pushes the group further forward. So, I'm really excited just to continue to work with him and he's been such an open and humble person.
"He's very open to speaking with everybody and anybody about his experience and is even open to giving us tips and things that can help improve us as a group. So, he's been an amazing presence on the field and off the field."
Harrison was dynamic in his 36-minute Revolution debut last Saturday, completing all four of his dribble attempts and going eight-for-eight on ground duels.
The Designated Player could play an increased role this weekend when the Revs travel to face Toronto FC.
“Definitely the plan will be for [Harrison] to play more minutes," Mitrovic said. "We also have to be very cautious because this will be his second game after an offseason. But again, connected with the last question you asked about him, he came here, I would say, for game fitness, very ready.
"His numbers are amazing and we believe that he has more minutes not just to be on the field but also to perform compared with the last game. We would love to increase his minutes in the next game."
