Surprising; Club CEO admits he couldn’t believe that 26-year-old decided to join Everton
Angus Kinnear admitted he was left surprised when Jack Harrison chose to join Everton this summer.
Speaking on the Square Ball Podcast, the Leeds United CEO claimed the winger made an unusual choice given ‘the predicament Everton are in’.
Harrison was one of few positives for the Whites during their final couple of seasons in the Premier League, scoring 21 goals and providing 16 assists since their promotion in 2020.
Despite looking extremely close to joining Leicester City during the January transfer window, the winger signed a new five-year deal with the Whites in April.
Harrison agreed to a wage reduction if Leeds United were relegated and he looked set to help them enjoy a swift return to the top flight, however he instead opted to join Everton on loan for the season.
“From my perspective going on loan to Everton with the predicament Everton are in, versus staying at Leeds and getting them promoted, there is a valid choice to make there, and we were surprised,” Kinnear said.
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“At the time, to secure Jack Harrison on a new contract with a wage reduction if we went down, those were the types of things that were in place.”
Jack Harrison made the right decision joining Everton
Harrison is yet to make his debut for the Toffees but is likely to establish himself as a regular under Sean Dyche.
Leeds United have so far showed very few signs of winning promotion at the first attempt, with the club sat 15th in the Championship after winning one of their first five matches.
It’s understandable why Leeds United may be confused as to why Jack Harrison would choose to join Everton this season, however he clearly sees himself as a Premier League player.
If the 26-year-old can impress at Goodison Park then he could play a huge part in keeping the Toffees up. Playing in the Premier League is an honour to all players, while Harrison may understand that a quality loan spell could earn him a permanent move back to the top flight.
