It’s a full-circle moment for Jack Harrison.
Harrison, who earned national attention as a member of the Berkshire School boys soccer program, has signed a Designated Player contract with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.
Jack Harrison, who graduated from Berkshire School in 2015 and was the Gatorade national player of the year that season, is the newest member of the New England Revolution.
“As I considered my options, the decision to return to MLS and join the Revolution was one that was most aligned with me,” Harrison said in a release from the team.”It ticked a lot of boxes that I was looking for. I’m absolutely happy to come back to MLS and be back in Massachusetts to a city that is full of champions in all other sports.”
Harrison’s professional career began for New York City FC, before heading to the Premier League, where he played for Leeds United and Everton. Harrison was most recently on loan to Fiorentina in Italy’s Serie A, Italy’s top professional league.
“Jack Harrison fills an important need for the Revolution as we aim to bolster our attack. Since breaking through in MLS, Jack has flourished on the game’s biggest stages in the English Premier League and Serie A, where he was an integral part of his Leeds, Everton and Fiorentina squads,” Chris Tierney, Revolution general manager and chief soccer officer said in a statement. “With Jack joining the Revolution, we are confident his creativity and game intelligence will help him make an immediate impact.”
Harrison, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent, a city about three hours northwest of London, came to Berkshire School at age 14 and graduated in 2015. He was the Gatorade National and Massachusetts Soccer Player of the Year that season. After one year at Wake Forest, where he was the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Harrison was the first player selected in the MLS Draft that year by NYCFC.
In 11 professional seasons, Harrison made more than 375 appearances with Leeds, Everton, Middlesbrough and Fiorentina, scoring 54 goals and adding 50 assists. Of those 375 appearances, 219 were with Leeds.
“Just graduating from Berkshire in the spring of last year and then going to college. Now, I’m playing alongside [Frank] Lampard” in New York, Harrison told The Eagle a decade ago when he first turned pro. “It’s just a dream come true. I’m really grateful for my mum [Deborah Harrison] for giving me this opportunity and for putting faith in me.”
Jack Harrison
Harrison’s Designated Player contract runs through the 2029-30 season. It will go into effect pending receipt of his P-1 visa and international transfer certificate. The P-1 visas provide temporary U.S. non-immigrant work permits for athletes.
Teams in MLS are allowed up to three Designated Player contracts. According to the MLS website, clubs can sign up to three DPs whose compensation and acquisition costs exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge.
Harrison becomes the third DP on the Revolution roster, joining midfielder Carles Gil of Spain and U.S. goalkeeper Matt Turner.
There will be an introductory media session with Harrison and Tierney in Foxborough sometime next week.
