Since D.C. United's inception in 1996, "Harkes" has been one of the most legendary names to ever grace the back of the Black-and-Red's jerseys. First there was John Harkes, a staple in United's lineup from 1996 through 1998, a standout in the Black-and-Red midfield who helped lead D.C. to victories in the 1996 MLS Cup, 1996 U.S. Open Cup, 1997 MLS Cup, 1998 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and 1998 InterAmerican Cup. Now, fast forward 20 years and the Black-and-Red are surging into a new era with Ian Harkes—John's son—who is blazing his own trail with both United and the U.S. Men's National Team.
The younger Harkes signed with United as a Homegrown Player in January of 2017, and shortly after began making an impact in the Black-and-Red midfield. The 2016 MAC Hermann Trophy winner for college soccer's best player, Harkes made his Major League Soccer debut on March 12 in New York City. The midfielder went on to start 22 matches in his rookie season, notched his first professional assist against Atlanta on June 21, and scored his first professional goal in Dallas on July 4. Harkes' consistent improvement, along with his workhorse mentality and box-to-box skills, then earned him his first USMNT call-up this January.
"It’s a huge honor and I’m grateful and excited that I get the chance to play with some of the best players in the country," Harkes said of his first call-up. "Being in that environment will push me to be my best as a player. I’m sure I will learn a lot from the coaching staff and the players around me and I can take that into preseason with D.C. United.”
Like at United, "Harkes" is a familiar surname within U.S. Soccer. John Harkes accrued 90 caps with the senior team and represented the Americans in the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups, while Ian's mother, Cindi, is a former U-19 Women's National Team player.
"Both my parents were involved in the national team a little bit, so it’s cool to be in the same setting that they were,” Harkes said. “It’s good to be here and start the dream."
While Harkes is still in the early stages of his MLS and national team careers, the 22-year-old is already earning respect in U.S. soccer circles. Harkes was a leader within MLS' 2017 class, playing the third-most regular season minutes (1,948), starting the third-most matches (22), recording the second-best passing accuracy rate (82.7%), and creating the third-most chances (19) among league rookies that started at least 10 matches. The midfielder's passing accuracy and chance creation rate steadily progressed throughout the season, while his ability to transition from holding defensively to making late off-ball runs also contributed to the Black-and-Red's capacity to launch the counterattack and create build-up play.
Harkes is already working toward achieving his goal of launching a standout career with United, but on Sunday, the 22-year-old will be hoping to reach his first national team milestone—earning his first cap in the U.S.' friendly against Bosnia & Herzegovina. While John Harkes has been on that same national team stage many times before, Ian indicated his father encouraged him to continue forging his own path within professional soccer.
“He just said with this camp to be my own player, don’t worry about playing like anyone else, just go out there and enjoy the experience. That’s what I’m doing.”
Photos from U.S. Soccer.
