
Melbourne City fans went to AAMI Park on Saturday rejuvenated by the signing of Jamie Maclaren – but left chanting Shayon Harrison’s name.
The 21-year-old stole the show in City’s one-all draw with Adelaide United, turning heads and shifting attitudes with moves straight out of the Spurs academy.
Having arrived in the country eight days before – Harrison was quick to adapt and did not look out of place in his pairing with Maclaren.
With few opportunities for academy youth in the Premier League – Harrison sought to embark on a new journey to further his development.
“It’s a big step for me personally coming out this far and being out of my comfort zone,” Harrison told Evenings on FNR.
“The Premier League 2 is full of youth, there is some exciting talent there.
“For me I needed to be playing senior football and the A-League is a great move.
“(The Premier League) is a tough league to break into, there’s always someone in front of you.
“This personally is a huge step in terms of my development.”
A reason why Harrison decided to sign for City was because of head coach Warren Joyce.
Harrison met the former Wigan manager at Manchester United where he played in the youth team and while Joyce has not set a specific target, he has high expectations for the 21-year-old.
“A target for me would be to score as many as I can,” Harrison said.
“We haven’t put a number on it but I want to do as much as I can for the team.”