Ian Harkes follows his father's footsteps, becomes Revolution's first "second generation" player
FOXBORO -- Ian Harkes made his debut for the New England Revolution on Saturday, and in the process, made a little club history.
The name "Harkes" is likely familiar to Revs and soccer fans around the world. John Harkes -- Ian's dad -- enjoyed a long career in the English Premier League and Major League Soccer, including three seasons with the Revolution from 1999-2001.
When Ian took the pitch for the Revs for the first time in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls, he became the first "second generation" player in club history, following in his father's footsteps.
"It's special. I don't think we talked about it before or planned for it to happen," Harkes said after the Revs training session on Tuesday. "But it's special to see his lineage and his legacy, what he's done. His career speaks for itself. I'm just trying to do the best that I can and enjoy the moments now."
This isn't the first time Ian has worn the same kit as his father, as he began his MLS career with the DC United in 2017 and 2018. John Harkes also kicked off his MLS career with DC United, playing for current Revs head coach Bruce Arena when Major League Soccer launched in 1996. The duo won a pair of MLS Cups in DC, and Arena also coached the elder Harkes at the University of Virginia and on the USMNT. Harkes later served as an assistant on Arena's staff with the New York Red Bulls.
Now, Ian is hoping to do some great things under Arena's tutelage.
"He said that he's a legend of the game and in terms of what he's brought with his coaching ability through the years, and he always puts together a great team," Ian said his father told him of Arena. "I'm just delighted to be a part of it."
The younger Harkes, 28, is back stateside after spending nearly five years in Scotland with Dundee United. He believes that he's a much better player thanks to his experience abroad, and is hoping to make a big impact on the Revs the rest of the season.
"The last four years I was over in Scotland, I grew a lot there. It challenged me," he said. "The U.S. has been my home, my wife's home, and my family is back here and I was excited to be a part of the league -- to see how much it has grown and how good the standard is. I was excited to be back."