Ian Harkes at Dundee United

He was born in the UK, so that helps.

Would certainly be interesting to see whether a USL team would be willing and/or able to compete with MLS for a player. One thing they might be able to offer is a more flexible contract structure, if that's how Harkes wants to manage his career. Cincy isn't jumping to MLS anytime soon if ever, so that doesn't help.

 

Having Scottish grandparents is even more important. Birth in the UK doesn't necessarily pass along citizenship, though John Harkes would have had a UK passport as well.

 

As long as Harkes had a passport or alternatively had indefinite leave to remain he would be fine.

I don't think you can obtain UK citizenship from grandparents.

 

I'm just trying to point out that birth in the UK doesn't automatically pass along citizenship, even with a work permit for a parent. You generally have to be "settled" in the UK.

I was being a bit flip about the Scottish grandparents. They guaranteed John was a UK citizen. The UK citizenship rules have changed a bit and take some sorting out, but Ian may well be better off being born in the UK than elsewhere. (But the fact that John spent more than 3 consecutive years in the UK meant he can pass citizenship onto his US born children as long as he registered them before 18. Not complicated at all...)

 

If his dad wasn't selfish, but history shows he is, he should not try to influence him to come to his 3rd division American club. That's not what is best for his kid.

It's gotta be DCU or Europe/UK, and I'd favor the latter right now with the likely citizenship or ease of obtaining a work permit, which is a benefit most collegiates don't have, along with him having played at an exceptional level this year. A European scout here or there had to be watching the Final Four. If I'm a mid-table Championship club I'd buy low on him, and you could probably get a pretty pro-ready player given the poise he showed and at 21 yrs old.

 

Can't help noticing that there haven't been any overseas trials reported for Harkes. That doesn't mean there haven't been any, or that there won't be. It may also be that Harkes is sufficiently connected in Europe that he could get a contract without one. Still, awfully quiet on that front so far.

 

Harkes won the MAC Hermann Trophy.

 

options = leverage

 

Ian Harkes wins Hermann Trophy as college soccer's best player https://t.co/N17IYgkreS #dcu #allmets

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 7, 2017

 

From the Goff article linked in the tweet:

The holder of a British passport, Harkes is also considering European opportunities.​

 

I think that's true of Europe/MLS but not USL considering the bargain basement price they'd surely offer him.

 

in a general sense maybe....but if dcunited wants harkes and they know he could sign in europe or with his dads team in the american second division instead....it gives harkes more leverage.

considering harkes qualifies as a homegrown and thus not on dcu's budget....dcu will surely not want to let him walk. morris signing with seattle was an irreplaceable bonus per lagerway...same deal with harkes. the threat of him not signing with dc creates leverage for him.

 

I guess what I'm wondering is whether "considering" opportunities means the same thing as "has offers" at this point.

A Championship team (picking at semi-random since that's where Derby plays now) might not be able to give him more minutes than DC in 2o17, but they would almost certainly have more money to offer a reserve.

Cincinnati became a second-division team yesterday, for what that's worth. I tend to doubt they're any higher than second, if that, on Ian's list, no matter who the coach is, for pretty straightforward reasons.

 

Cincinnati makes sense if he wants to play here another year or two before going abroad and not get locked into a 4 yr MLS deal with a crap organization like DC.

 

I said as much in the second post of this thread (not that I expect you or anyone to read my posts) but I still figure it's a stretch unless Cincy wants to try to compete financially with DC to at least some degree. DC also looks to me like it has minutes available at CM this coming season.

In any case, saw this:

Harkes, who graduated in three-and-half years with his degree in business management, will now turn his attention to his pro career. Because he played for D.C. United’s youth academy, it owns his rights for the MLS. But Muuss said Harkes is also listening to offers from overseas.

“He’s going to Europe in the next day or two,” Muuss said.
​

http://www.journalnow.com/townnews/...cle_2fa5813a-bd4d-5c70-a2ba-0aad2aa46374.html

 

Just a guess here, but as a highly regarded four-year college player with options, DC might offer something in the Steve Birnbaum range -- 85K guaranteed as a rookie, up to 96K and then 116K in 2016. (His new deal obviously took into account his contributions on the field and increased stature, as well perhaps as his reported overseas options.) I have no idea how that compares to high-end USL pay.

 

Breaking: D.C. United slated to sign Hermann Trophy winner Ian Harkes https://t.co/EU64gNe3Di #dcu #mls

— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) January 15, 2017

 

United have signed Ian Harkes to a Homegrown Player contract.

Welcome back to the ⚫️&🔴, Ian!!#DCU | Read: https://t.co/UdBHtj3a6s pic.twitter.com/RUnM7HGldL

— D.C. United (@dcunited) January 23, 2017

 

From the Washington Post:

Born in England in the last year of his father’s six-year run in the world’s most prestigious circuit, Ian also wanted to explore opportunities abroad. United officials understood the yearning; family history and the romanticism of English soccer were powerful forces. They agreed to give him space.

So Ian trained for about a week with the under-23 squad at Derby County, a second-flight club that employed his father for two seasons. He encountered people who played with John or recognized his family name.

On short notice, though, Derby wasn’t prepared to offer a contract. Fulham, a second-tier club in London, had also been willing to take a look, but by then Ian knew what he wanted to do: sign with United.​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...signs-with-d-c-united/?utm_term=.41e10312f004

 

Snip:

Harkes, 23, seems likely to join another MLS team or explore options overseas. Born in England while his father, John, was a star player, Ian has been pursuing a British passport, which would ease a move to Europe. (His paternal roots are Scottish.)
​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...et-part-with-ian-harkes-because-roster-crunch

 

The ever elusive "I thought you already had a passport?" move.

 

He might have a problem then.

You cannot get a British passport via a grandparent.

Despite being born in England, he wouldn't be eligible for a UK passport unless one of his parents was a naturalised citizen ( not via descent)

If John Harkes played on a British Passport, then he wouldn't have had an indefinite leave to remain visa.

https://www.gov.uk/types-of-british-nationality/british-citizenship

 

But Goff told us Harkes had his British passport. Right @Scotty?