Jesse Marsch has told nice guy Jack Harrison he wants him to be a “son of a bitch on the pitch” for Leeds.
Marsch has followed Harrison's career since he was at college in the US as a teenager and is excited about working with him.
He wanted to sign him for New York Red Bulls in 2016 when he joined their MLS rivals New York City FC and has tracked his progress at Leeds.
Marsch knows from coming up against Harrison in the MLS that he is very respectful and wants to bring out his nasty side at Leeds.
The American wants Harrison to be more aggressive as Leeds fight for their Premier League lives.
“When we’ve had players from the US or MLS come over here, I’ve tried to see what their adaptation has been like and how they’ve grown,” said the Leeds boss.
“I could see that Jack, even while on loan, had taken on a lot of new responsibility here and developed as a player.
“You could see he was getting better and better.
“Getting to know him, he was always the type of player who after a game was always very respectful to the opponents’ coach and would shake my hand and say ‘good game’.
“I’d heard he was a really good young man and it’s clear to see that. What I’ve tried to say to him is that it’s OK to be a good, young man and a son of a bitch on the pitch.
“He has such quality and my goal is to push him, and his personality, and his level of play on the field so that he can use all his qualities as a human being to benefit him to continue to grow as a player.
“I want him to become dangerous and effective and as big a part of the team I believe he can be.”
Harrison has also followed Marsch’s career and reminded his new head coach that he lost 7-0 against him and his Red Bulls when he made his New York City debut in May 2016.
“He reminded me that that was his first game and I said ‘OK, we won’t talk about it!’,” he said.
“I think that’s a pretty famous game in the history of the MLS and certainly one that we had a good match plan and played very, very well.”
Marcelo Bielsa loved to play with wingers because he felt that was one of the best ways to create chances and Harrison was one of his favourites on the left flank.
Marsch prefers to play narrower and has told the former Manchester City man he wants him to come inside more.
He feels Leeds to be more compact to help them defend better.
“I’m asking him to play a little bit different role than what he played before where he was a wide winger,” he said. “I want him to play inside at times and to be aggressive in certain moments.
“He can do that. He’s intelligent and understands how to apply himself.”
