Jack Harrison feels he has a point to prove.
To most, the winger’s first year on loan at Everton from Leeds United was a relative success. After returning from injury in late September, he became a near ever-present in Sean Dyche’s team, scoring four goals and providing three assists in 35 appearances.
That was enough to convince Dyche to sign him up for a further year, with director of football Kevin Thelwell going public with his desire to keep the 27-year-old.
Yet Harrison returns for his second temporary stint at Goodison keen to show supporters that there is more to his game.
There has been little respite this summer. He was in Miami working on his fitness with a professional coach when he completed his season-long loan move and continued his fitness regimen when he returned home to the outskirts of Manchester.
Perhaps it is partly the influence of former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa, who was known for rigorously studying players’ weight on their return to training and throughout the season. Those old Bielsa habits die hard, but there is motivation on Harrison’s side to deliver more in an Everton shirt.
“My aim was to make sure I’m ready to show what I can do,” he tells The Athletic. “After missing out last year on pre-season, it probably took me a a bit longer than anticipated to get up and running and I don’t think I truly showed what I was capable of. Hopefully, I can have a bigger impact.
Harrison played in the friendly with Sligo last week (Tony McArdle/Everton)
“I’d have liked to contribute more goals and assists. If I can have 10 goals and 10 assists, it’s a good season. But there’s a lot more that goes into the game. As a modern winger, you have to be able to do both sides. We did a good job defensively, which is just as important, but I’d have liked to have done more on the attacking side.
“There’s a period of adjustment at a new club. Having the adversity of my injury and the operation, it was tough to pick up a rhythm. I’m trying to prepare myself as best as possible for the season.”
The injury he refers to is one sustained in that final season at Leeds as the team battled relegation. Versions of the story have filtered out in a watered-down form, but this is the first time he has gone into detail on the extent of those issues and their consequences.
As part of the forlorn attempts to save Leeds from relegation, he played through a serious groin problem in the final weeks of the season, notably scoring in the 4-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on the final day that saw them relegated.
“I gave everything for the club,” Harrison says. “Even the last month or so, I was playing through an injury and delaying the operation just to try and do what I could to keep them up.
“I’m not sure anyone knows that but I tore my cartilage, my tendon in my groin. I had to get nails in over the summer to fix it but I wanted to push myself to the limit to help Leeds.
“It was probably the worst thing I’ve been through as a player. I was taking loads of painkillers and anti-inflammatories to try and reduce the pain. After the game, I’d feel even worse. If it had been at the start of the season, I’d have taken more time to do something about it.
“When summer came, it was really frustrating because we were relegated and I had this huge injury that needed an operation. Whatever the fans say, I have no regrets.”
Harrison says he played through the pain barrier when Leeds were relegated (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
It is bittersweet now in light of those difficult final months, but there are memorable moments to look back on. “Getting promoted, scoring Leeds’ first Premier League goal in over 16 years and then finishing ninth — there were a lot of positives,” he says.
Then there was the sheer “relief” of the stoppage-time goal away to Brentford at the end of the 2021-22 season that kept Leeds up.
If there is one regret, beyond not being able to repeat the trick 12 months later, it is the way it ended.
In the eyes of some, his Leeds exit was acrimonious; an example of a player quickly jumping ship after relegation.
“It was a special place for me but I also understand the fans’ side, how they see me as a traitor and whatever,” he says. “I understand they have a great fanbase and are very passionate.
“When I chose to go on loan, a lot of comments were made that made me feel a certain way towards Leeds. But if I take a step back, I’ve been very grateful for what they provided me”.
In some cases, those bonds have not healed. His social media comments are the most obvious manifestation of that.
The Athletic then mentions a video of Harrison’s mum Debbie, filmed after Everton’s 2-0 win at Burnley in December, that attracted the ire of a section of the Leeds fanbase online. A supporter in the away end says, “Don’t go back to Leeds,” and she replies, “I hope not.”
Harrison wants to clear up that comment.
“My mum likes to get close to the fans and loves the feeling of being part of something bigger,” he says. “At Leeds, she’d do the same thing and did a lot of charity work and signings. She goes into one of the pubs close to Goodison before the game and has a section where she’s allowed to go for the dog. She’s had such a good feeling since we’ve been at Everton and loves it here.
“To clear up the comment at the end, a lot of comments were made on my posts when I left Leeds — still some now, with fans commenting with a rat or snake emoji. My mum sees that and she’s super protective. As soon as she sees this, she has a feeling of not wanting to go back. It’s a normal reaction for a mum.
“The next day, she said, ‘What have I done, what have I done?’. But I understand the fan side too. I’m stuck in the middle!”
Harrison is still technically a Leeds player, but their play-off final defeat to Southampton saw Everton take advantage of a mechanism in his contract that allowed him to go out on loan again as long as his full salary was covered.
Other Premier League clubs explored a deal, but the 27-year-old’s preference was always a return to Goodison.
“The manager and Kevin (Thelwell) made it very clear how much they wanted me back,” Harrison says. “I was comfortable right from the start.
“On top of that, having a point to prove to myself. You want to be where you’re valued and where you’re capable of being at your best, and this was the best way we saw.”
England remains an ambition. At Leeds, Harrison saw team-mates Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford earn international recognition. He came within touching distance of a call-up and his eyes are trained on it again.
“100 per cent (it’s still a goal),” he says. “I like to be ambitious and push myself. England is as good as it gets and I’ve been working really hard to get to that point. The change in manager could lead to more opportunities but I like to keep an open mind and keep pushing as a goal.
“They used to send preliminary lists that hint you might be involved. I used to get texts quite regularly during international breaks but it (the final call) didn’t quite come. I’m pushing myself and would like to be there one day”.
Competition is tough. Marcus Rashford, Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling were among a host of talented players in his position to miss out on Gareth Southgate’s final squad for Euro 2024. To be in the conversation, Harrison will have to make good on his desire to improve his output.
There is also the significant matter of his long-term future, which is still up for grabs.
“I always leave that side of things to my agent,” Harrison says diplomatically. “I’m happy here: it’s a brilliant club.”
A big 12 months ahead, then, for a player who feels ready to kick on again.
(Top photo: Tony McArdle/Everton)
