Sting once famously pondered what it was to be an Englishman in New York… now Jack Harrison has followed suit.
The 19-year old has been dubbed “The Future of MLS” in an interview with Vice Sports published on Wednesday - one of two good features on Jack in the media this week.
Harrison, who was named no.2 in the MLS 24 Under 24 series, has also been nominated for Rookie of the Year following his incredible breakout season.
This video interview is well worth the watch in full…
There’s more on Jack on the pages of the Bleacher Report website.
Steve Brenner charts the rise of Jack from the Manchester United Academy through to the NYCFC first-team and we discover it’s a path less ordinary for a promising footballer from Bolton, England.
Jack’s mother Debbie (who you can learn more about in this video feature we shot with her), was a driving force behind Jack’s rise, as he acknowledges in the interview.
“I am so grateful to be in this position, and without my mum, I wouldn't be here," Jack told Bleacher Report. "I would never have thought about taking that path as a kid. She has done so much, and I am so appreciative for the support she has given me.
"She was thinking if I was injured what would I do, so the education in the U.S. was the backup plan. People recommended U.S. scholarships—it was very creative on her part because not many parents are thinking like that in the academies. They just want the kids to turn pro, and that's all they think about.
"There was a risk. It could have gone wrong. But, thankfully, it didn't."
It certainly did not.
Elsewhere, MLSSocccer.com have gotten to the bottom of one of the major talking points of NYCFC’s 2016 season.
Chicken Buckets.
T.J. O’Toole is one of the founders of this deep-fried, finger-licking feast.
What started as an appreciation for the Yankee Stadium’s dining choices became the subject of a chant which turned into the name of a supporters group.
O’Toole told journalist Phil West: “One of the things that brought us joy, during the growing pains of being an expansion team, was the chicken bucket.
“It started out of nowhere — I’d had a few beers, we all started talking about what a good value the chicken bucket was. You get two buckets for six people, everyone’s good ... and then all of a sudden, the chant started. It just started with us, but then it grew quickly.
“People told us, ‘I can’t believe you’re chanting this.’
“Then, all of a sudden, it started to build, and now at least a quarter of the stadium is doing it. It’s getting louder and harder to ignore.”
Let us hear it loud and proud on Sunday... and, before we wrap up, just to counteract all this talk of fried food, here's Patrick, Claudio and a host of NYCFC players taking a healthy cooking class.
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Until next week!
