Well considering Harkes was a first generation American with two Scottish immigrant parents, he may have had a head start in knowing how to adopt it!
On the bench: #DUFC TEAM TONIGHT | SIEGRIST, BOOTH, FRANS, MCMULLAN, FYVIE, STANTON, GOMIS, SAFRANKO, BOUHENNA, SMITH C AND SEAMAN. SUBS: LAIDLAW, CLARK, KING, NESBITT, ROBSON, WATSON AND HARKES. 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/SUZujDEgY1— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) January 25, 2019
Harkes and Clark replace Fyvie and Stanton in the 60th minute #dufc— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) January 25, 2019
Welcome to Scotland, Ian 1-0 | 73 mins | Harkes takes a high boot to the face and United win the free kick. The ball is played up and McMullan hits wildly over #dufc— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) January 25, 2019
Harkes started today and will play 90 minutes. It's 2-1 to United late in their league match with Greenock Morton. According to Twitter, Harkes wasn't involved in the goals.
Article on the family's history in Dundee: https://www.heraldscotland.com/spor...dice-love-story-for-this-expat-son-of-dundee/ “It’s amazing,” says an elated James Harkes, now 81, from his home in Kearny, New Jersey. “He called me Friday and he said, ‘Grandad, you’ll never guess where I am.’ ‘You’re up in New Jersey?’ ‘No, I’m in Scotland.’ ‘What are you doing in Scotland?’ He replies, ‘I’ve just signed for Dundee United. Well, I said, ‘Oh my God.’ What a turn up that was. You couldn’t write a script for that. Amazing, just amazing. It took me a wee while to come down out of that one.”
Named to Team of the Week: ⚽| Congratulations to @MotherwellFC winger @Jakehastie99! He scored a fantastic double in the Steelmen's 3-0 win over Livingston, earning him the Star Man spot in our team of the week 🌟! #TOTWRead it 👉 https://t.co/DocYauqk0n pic.twitter.com/pdxU7I1m2c— SPFL (@spfl) February 5, 2019
No, because Dundee United is in the second division. That's an extremely weird combined team of the week that the SPFL released.
I did the same double-take with it this morning when I saw Jermain Defoe in the team. You're on firm ground here.
How is it weird? It's the SPFL team of the week. The SPFL encompasses four leagues. It'd be weird if it was a Scottish Premiership team of the week.
I wouldn't say weird, but only because I prefer odd or curious. The choice of players isn't what's weird; it's the combining of leagues to form a single team that's weird. But to each his own.
Starts: United Team | SIEGRIST, CLARK, SAFRANKO, ROBSON, BUTCHER, C SMITH, REYNOLDS (c), HARKES, SEAMAN, PAWLETT and CONNOLLY Subs: Laidlaw, Frans,McMullan, Fyvie, Sow, Gomis and Nesbitt #DUFC 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/L0B9td8u4J— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) February 9, 2019
St Mirren 1-2 Dundee United, in the Scottish Cup. Harkes went the full 90. Dundee played the final 30 minutes shorthanded, after Harkes' partner at DM (in a 4-2-3-1), Calum Butcher, received a red card.
Starts against Queen of the South. TEAMNEWS #DUFC 🧡🖤 | SIEGRIST, FRANS, MCMULLAN, CLARK, GOMIS, SAFRANKO, ROBSON, BOUHENNA, HARKES, SEAMAN AND PAWLETT. Subs: Laidlaw, Booth, Sow, Stanton, Nesbitt, C Smith and Watson. pic.twitter.com/uwAQDV49cu— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) February 16, 2019
Starts: TEAM NEWS | #DUFC SXI: SIEGRIST, FRANS, CLARK, SAFRANKO, ROBSON, BUTCHER (IN), SMITH (IN), HARKES, SEAMAN, PAWLETT AND CONNOLLY (IN). SUBS: LAIDLAW, MCMULLAN, FYVIE, SOW, GOMIS, NESBITT AND BOUHENNA 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/Sv8x9B9NVN— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) February 23, 2019
He played in 25 matches as a rookie largely as a bench player. He only played in eight matches his second year and never really after starters returned from injury. He was probably the sixth or seventh central midfield option for DC United last year.
Starts: TONIGHT'S TEAM: SIEGRIST, MCMULLAN (IN), CLARK, SAFRANKO, ROBSON, BUTCHER, REYNOLDS (IN)(CAPT), HARKES, SEAMAN, PAWLETT AND CONNOLLY. SUBS: LAIDLAW, FYVIE, SOW, GOMIS, NESBITT, C SMITH AND WATSON. #DUFC 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/cbZOD0B4S6— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) February 26, 2019
1-0 win on a penalty. Dundee United played down a man for the last 18 minutes + stoppage, and Harkes played 90. They remain second, 5 points behind Ross County having played an extra game, are safe in the playoff places by 12 points, and are 3 points ahead of Ayr for second (and an automatic playoff semifinal berth).
Starts: #DUFC TEAM TODAY: SIEGRIST, FYVIE (IN), CLARK, SAFRANKO, ROBSON, C SMITH (IN), REYNOLDS, HARKES, SEAMAN, PAWLETT AND CONNOLLY. SUBS: LAIDLAW, BOOTH, MCMULLAN, STANTON, GOMIS, NESBITT AND WATSON. #ScottishCup 🧡🖤 pic.twitter.com/gpBRCBg6F4— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) March 3, 2019