Everton: Jack Harrison clears up controversial fan footage amid Leeds United criticism | OneFootball

Jack Harrison has explained why his mother hopes he will move permanently to Everton from Leeds United.

Jack Harrison has moved to clear up a situation regarding his mother from earlier last season, where it appeared she was criticising Leeds United.

The Toffees managed to take advantage of a clause in Harrison's Leeds contract to secure a season-long loan deal for the winger last summer - and they benefitted from having him at their disposal. They have since reactivated that option this summer, meaning he will spend a second consecutive year at Goodison Park.

Harrison enjoyed three successive loans to Elland Road from Manchester City, the third of which contained an option-to-buy clause, which Leeds activated in 2021. He then went on to make 206 appearances for Leeds in his five-year stint, scoring 34 goals and registering a further 32 assists.

Although he has had mixed form for much of last season, he is one of Lees' most salable assets in terms of what it can do regarding PSR. He has four years left on his deal with Leeds until the summer of 2028, but they will not receive a fee for him this summer, as Everton have instead been able to bring him in on loan once more, with that clause remaining active.

That's unless Everton change their minds regarding a possible permanent deal, in order to free up a loan spot. One report from Give Me Sport stated that the Toffees were weighing up the possibility of making a permanent move for him, with the club potentially keen to sign Kalvin Phillips and Armando Broja on loan.

Jack Harrison's reaction to controversial moment

As things stand, Harrison remains a Leeds player temporarily on loan with Everton. However, his own other mother admitted that she hopes Harrison's deal can be made permanent. With a video emerging detailing her thoughts on a return to Leeds from earlier in the 2023/24 campaign.

Harrison has since reacted to that in an interview in The Athletic. He said: “My mum likes to get close to the fans and loves the feeling of being part of something bigger.

“At Leeds, she’d do the same thing and did a lot of charity work and signings. She goes into one of the pubs close to Goodison before the game and has a section where she’s allowed to go for the dog. She’s had such a good feeling since we’ve been at Everton and loves it here.

“To clear up the comment at the end, a lot of comments were made on my posts when I left Leeds — still some now, with fans commenting with a rat or snake emoji. My mum sees that and she’s super protective. As soon as she sees this, she has a feeling of not wanting to go back. It’s a normal reaction for a mum.

“The next day, she said, ‘What have I done, what have I done?’. But I understand the fan side too. I’m stuck in the middle!”

Jack Harrison's Leeds future

In many ways, the comments from his mother only worsened the idea that bridges have been forever burned between Harrison and Leeds fans, and it's likely that there is no way back for the 27-year-old.

That means it will come as a blow to the Whites in not being able to cash-in this summer. He may not be the flashiest player but has consistently reliable output for both goals and assists, although many Leeds fans felt they came in purple patches rather than a steady spread over the course of a season.

He took some time to get going at Elland Road, but became a reliable contributor as he developed each season under Marcelo Bielsa, and is a player that Everton would have been silly not to sign on another bargain deal on loan, so that they can also save plenty of cash and resources to be put elsewhere.

Leeds will hope that they make the deal permanent at some stage, be that this summer or next, as his future in West Yorkshire is all-but-over, in spite of a healthy contract with the club.