The D.C. United crest had a major facelift before the 2016 season but what it means to represent and don the Black-and-Red remains as significant as ever. New signing and academy product Ian Harkes understands more than most the rich history and tradition that is engrained in the club.
As the son of former D.C. United great, John Harkes, Ian was born into the Black-and-Red family and hopes to make the most of signing his first professional contract with his boyhood team. It came as no surprise that when the 2016 MAC Hermann trophy winner put pen to paper for the club, it was a special moment for both him and his family.
“Playing for a team that you grew up with and a team that’s in your backyard is a dream come true,” said Ian Harkes. “The fact that I was connected with the academy and to be around the club every day in a professional environment was always cool and inspiring.”
The central midfielder used that inspiration to make a name for himself at Wake Forest, where he had one of the most exceptional individual careers in program history. His ability to dictate play and carve out goal-scoring opportunities made him one of the most threatening young midfielders in college soccer.
United Head Coach Ben Olsen was renowned for his talent and tenacity in the midfield during his playing days and Harkes is excited about the opportunity to train underneath the experienced coach whilst simultaneously being pushed to get better by the talented players around him.
“Getting coaching from the next level will be awesome. Being in a different training environment with players that are better than you and being with guys that are going to push you to be better,” said Harkes about what he looks forward to. “Ben [Olsen] is always developing players and helping them to add a bunch of different skill sets each year. He’s already talked to me about things that they like about me and things that I need to work on so it’s good that a coach sees that right away and can recognize your strengths and weaknesses.”
While some might see having John Harkes as a father as additional pressure, Ian approaches the situation with the same composure and determination that exemplifies his playing style.
“I don’t view it as any pressure to live up to the name or anything like that. It’s kind of been a part of me playing soccer throughout my whole life,” said Harkes. “I think he’s always been there and my mom and my whole family are involved with soccer so it’s always great to have them as mentors and get guidance and advice from them.”
While the Harkes name is deeply entrenched in D.C. United tradition, Ian hopes to make his own history and show fans the same quality that defined his career at Wake Forest. While Harkes understandably hopes to emulate his father’s work rate on the field, he also wants to show fans his creativity on the ball and desire to help the players around him succeed.
“I’m hopefully someone that can step in and push the guys around him and someone that can bring tempo to the midfield,” said new signing Ian Harkes about what fans can expect. “I think my dad was all over the place and had a really high work rate and I think I bring the same thing. I can also hopefully pick out the passes and set up other guys for success.”
D.C. United’s new number 23 walked through the doors of RFK Stadium for the first time as a professional player on Jan. 23 and plans on hitting the ground running in preseason. Olsen and the rest of the coaching staff will be hoping to see more of the same from the player who has impressed so many in recent years.
