Middlesbrough FC never got what Leeds United or Everton did with winger transfer | OneFootball

Jack Harrison endured a forgettable few months on Teesside before going on to star for Leeds and Everton in the following years.

Middlesbrough completed the loan signing of Manchester City winger Jack Harrison in January 2018, but the future Premier League star would endure a forgettable few months on Teesside.

Having just signed for Manchester City from MLS side New York City FC, Harrison was immediately loaned out to Championship side Middlesbrough, who were looking to bolster their promotion bid under manager Tony Pulis.

The England Under-21 international at the time would be spending the second half of the 2017/18 season at the Riverside Stadium, and understandably so given he'd signed for Boro with the ink barely dry from penning his Man City contract, excitement was rife on Teesside over the deal.

However, Harrison wouldn't have the impact for Middlesbrough that many had hoped he might, but what he would go on to achieve in the aftermath of his time in the North East would leave somewhat of a 'right player, wrong time' feeling from a Boro perspective.

“Middlesbrough are a good club, with Premier League experience and they’re in the mix for a return via the playoffs this season. Hopefully I can help them achieve that,” Harrison said after signing for City before making the move to Teesside.

Clearly then, he was a young player who appeared ready to relish the opportunity to make his mark in English football, and after being named as an unused substitute for games against Norwich City and Reading, Harrison was handed his Middlesbrough debut by Pulis in a 1-0 defeat to Cardiff City on 17 February 2018.

The young winger came on to replace Jonny Howson that afternoon, but couldn't help rescue Boro a point as Pulis' side slipped to ninth place in the Championship.

Unfortunately for Harrison, he would only spend more time on the pitch than the seven he did on his Middlesbrough debut on two occasions during the rest of the season.

A 26-minute cameo in a 3-3 draw with Sunderland on 24 February was followed up by a 14-minute cameo against Burton Albion on 2 April, before his final appearance in a Boro shirt came on the final day of the season.

That was against Ipswich Town, and despite only being on the pitch for two minutes that day, he provided a crucial assist, as his corner was met by the head of Patrick Bamford for a 90th minute equaliser to level the scores at 2-2, and help cement Middlesbrough's place in the top-six that year.

Middlesbrough would then take on Aston Villa in a two-legged play-off semi-final, but Harrison would play no part, as Pulis opted to keep him as an unused substitute in both games.

Boro would lose 1-0 on aggregate to Villa, and Harrison would return to Manchester City having barely broken a sweat in a Middlesbrough shirt. It's fair to say that this loan move didn't go to plan for anyone involved.

It's important to note that Pulis had an array of wide talent at his disposal that season, with Adama Traore bagging five goals and 13 assists making him fairly undroppable, whilst Stewart Downing's three goals and seven assists on the left flank offered the Boro boss a proven, reliable and quality option there as well.

Patrick Bamford, Marvin Johnson and Marcus Tavernier were all competing for game time across Boro's forward line too, and with Harrison still being so young and inexperienced in English football, Pulis understandably felt he had better options, and such it was that he became lost in the depth chart.

Harrison goes on to shine in the Championship and Premier League with Leeds United

Following his forgettable Middlesbrough experience, Harrison would spend the following two-years on loan with Championship rivals Leeds United.

In his first season at Elland Road, he would make 42 total appearances for the Whites, scoring four times and providing three assists. It would be his second year in West Yorkshire where he would really begin to blossom into the player many always thought he could become.

Under Marcelo Bielsa, Harrison and Leeds enjoyed a memorable title-winning campaign in the 2019/20 season, securing a long-awaited promotion back to the Premier League. The winger would play a leading role in that achievement, bagging six goals and eight assists in 46 Championship appearances - starting all but one of them.

So big of an impression had he made that Leeds simply couldn't see him go, and so upon the expiration of his loan deal, the Whites moved quickly to agree his third successive temporary move to Elland Road.

Harrison would light up the Premier League during the 2020/21 season, scoring eight goals and providing a further eight assists in 36 top flight outings - starting all but two. He had evolved into a chance-creating, dribbling-delight in a Whites shirt, and Leeds now wanted his permanent signature.

That's exactly what they got in the summer of 2021, signing him for a reported fee of £11m. Two more fruitful seasons that included double-figure goals and assists would follow, before Premier League relegation in 2022/23 meant that Everton spotted an opportunity to poach the Leeds star.

Harrison continues Premier League journey with Everton

Signing on a season-long loan deal in August 2023, Harrison would depart Elland Road having made over 200 appearances, scoring 34 goals and providing 32 assists.

Now it was time for him to show his Premier League quality once again, this time in the blue and white colours of the Toffees.

He wasn't quite able to recapture his Leeds form at Goodison park during the 2023/24 season, however, as he made 35 total appearances, in which he bagged four goals and three assists.

Harrison would make a big enough impact to earn himself another year with the club though, as he put pen to paper on another season-long loan deal in June 2024.

Having made over 150 appearances in the Premier League since his time with Middlesbrough, as well as numerous goals and assists to his name in the top flight too, Boro definitely knew there was a top player in there when they signed him as a raw talent back in 2018.

However, due to a combination of trust being placed in more proven and experienced players, as well as little time to make an impact when he did get his opportunities, Harrison left a legacy of 'what might have been' at the Riverside.