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Jack Harrison can add quality to England Under 21s, Aidy Boothroyd says

MLS midfielder Jack Harrison
Image: New York City wideman Jack Harrison (left) is expected to make his England Under-21 debut in the next week

England Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd believes Jack Harrison can add a new dimension to the squad.

The 20-year-old winger, who plays for New York City, has been called up for the first time ahead of the Euro 2019 qualifiers against Scotland at Middlesbrough on Friday and in Andorra next Tuesday.

Harrison, who was born in Stoke and moved to the States in 2011, has scored 10 goals and contributed six assists with City in the MLS Eastern Conference this season.

The youngster has earned the nickname 'Golden Boy' from his team-mates, who include World Cup winners David Villa and Andrea Pirlo, and Boothroyd is impressed.

"It [the nickname] must be nice for him," he said. "It shows you the pathway has changed or is changing. There's no hard or fast route [for call-ups]. Some go abroad and play and now we have someone who goes away, ends up playing for New York City and does really well.

MLS midfielder Jack Harrison with fans
Image: Harrison is popular with the fans in the MLS and his team-mates call him 'Golden Boy'

"He's been doing really well for New York and he's been playing with one or two reasonable players after the tweets we've seen. He's one we've been aware of for about a year. He first came on our radar from some of the scouting, we had a look and did our due diligence on him.

"If his stats are where they are in terms of his goals and assists, and we've watched a few games remotely, he looks like someone who could add to us."

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Harrison missed his flight from the US at the weekend but paid for a new ticket himself and Boothroyd has confirmed he is set to hand him a debut at some point over the two matches.

"He looks better than fine in the group, especially as he's just got off a plane," Boothroyd added.

"He actually missed his first plane but we managed to get him in. He's spent most of his time asleep - although that may be to avoid my meetings. He's a good sort."

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