Former Candystripe Michael Harris back in Ireland and ready to show his worth

Michael Harris believes he has developed as both a player and a person because of his experience with Colorado Rapids in the United States

The 19-year-old Donegal striker has returned home following a six-month spell in America, and is keen to make his mark on senior football having taken his game to the next level in the full-time set up at the Rapids, who he joined back in April.

Part of the Derry City U19 team which won the Enda McGuill Cup, Harris caught the attention of some very big names abroad, including Celtic, Stoke City and Wolves. He was also offered a two-year deal at the Brandywell by Ruaidhri Higgins, who promised that Harris would become a member of the first-team squad. But the striker opted to sign a two-year deal with the Rapids’ Major League Soccer NEXT Pro team instead.

“It was a class experience, getting into full-time football and training every day and stuff like that,” he explained. “It was a different set up and I was delighted to be over there and it and it was a great experience over there.

“Donegal and Derry and even Ireland as a whole is very small compared to America. Even when we were playing games, we had to fly to play each team rather than getting a bus because teams can be 12 plus hours away so we had to take flights. It was definitely different, but it was nice to experience travelling like that. We would travel the day before and stay the night then leave the next day then.”

It was a whole new world for Harris, who had to fend for himself away from his family for the first time in his life.

“It definitely took me a month to settle in. I had to talk really slowly when I was over there so it took them a while to understand. I remember one time in the changing room I was talking to a first team lad and we were chatting fairly fast and everyone stopped and looked at us and asked what we were on about,” he laughed.

“They are a mile above sea level so the altitude was mad. The first week I was there, I would be a fit enough player, but I was knackered. It took me a few weeks to settle in but from then on, I settled well.

“I was in the second team most of the time. I only came in halfway through the season. We had a good team and I broke into it and I feel I played well enough. Everyone was very welcoming and kind. They all want you to do well so it is nice to have people like that beside you.”

First-team football

Harris is now keen to use what he learned in America to make him an even better player back home, but key for him going forward is regular first-team football.

“This year will be a big year for me now, so I need to go somewhere where I’ll play,” he said. “I’m ready to show what I can do with the experience I’ve gained in America.

“I have a lot of goals, but my short-term goal is to get in, get a team, score goals and build a name for myself and hopefully with more senior minutes I’ll get more experience and then maybe think about going abroad again. At the minute, I have options in America as well and a few clubs have been in contact since I’ve been home, but I’m not closing the door on anything just yet.”

Confident that his best years in the game are still ahead of him, Harris believes that his experience on his own in America made him stronger in all aspects of his life.

“I came back a different person than I was, both off and on the pitch,” he explained. “On the pitch, training every day full-time, up in the morning at 9am and finishing at 2pm; that lifestyle, you just eat and sleep football and it definitely improved me a lot. Of the pitch I learned a lot of things, even washing and cleaning and stuff like that.

“That all helped me become even hungrier. I don’t see myself as being a doctor or anything like that; I know I’m going to be a football player.”

Before his experience in the United States, Harris spent years playing alongside talented youngsters like Evan McLaughlin, Patrick Ferry, Caolan McLaughlin and Caoimhin Porter at the Brandywell and he admits he retains a great affection for Derry City.

“The League of Ireland and the Irish League are both really exciting leagues with a lot of good teams,” he added. “Derry are a good team and Ruaidhri is a good person and a great manager too; he had a lot of time for me and I have a lot of respect for him. I had a great time there, but there’s be no contact as yet.

“I think top teams are looking for are people who have a lot of experience so coming home is not necessarily a bad thing, but rather a good opportunity for people, including myself, to come back, build their name and then go again when they’re ready.”