MOTD pundit shares Ollie Watkins verdict on Jack Harrison after Leeds United 2-1 win v Nottingham Forest
Match of the Day pundit Leon Osman has compared the recent form of Leeds United winger Jack Harrison to that of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Harrison now boasts two goals and three assists from his last six Premier League matches, with his latest goal coming in the win against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday (4 April).
Watkins meanwhile has eight goals from his last 10 Aston Villa league matches, with the English duo both shining under their relatively new managers.
When asked if there’s a parallel between Harrison and Watkins by Gabby Logan on BBC’s Match of the Day on Wednesday night (51m23s), Osman replied: “There absolutely is. He’s a player whose form has gone through the roof in recent weeks.
“When a new manager joins the club in Javi Gracia, you’re looking around the squad of players and you’re wondering who’s going to perform and raise the levels, to provide the ammunition you’re going to need.
“And this guy’s become this real Jack-in-the-box. He’s raised his game, he’s got energy, he’s got pace, he’s got acceleration, he’s creating things for Javi Gracia. That’s his third goal in six games and he also has two assists in that time.”
High praise
It is certainly high praise for Harrison to be compared to a player as in form as Villa’s Watkins, but the Leeds attacker definitely deserves it, with Harrison thriving under Gracia.
Much of the talk regarding any wingers at Leeds this season has revolved around Willy Gnonto, but Harrison has stolen all the headlines lately, helping guide his team out of the relegation zone and up into 13th place in the table.
Many Leeds fans perhaps thought they had lost their star winger in January amid links to Leicester and a handful of other clubs, but he has remained at Elland Road and they will be very thankful for that.
Gracia meanwhile has done a superb job in the dugout, getting the best out of Harrison and plenty of other Leeds players to drive the Yorkshire outfit away from safety.
A huge test awaits against Crystal Palace on Sunday (9 April), but Harrison will be full of confidence going into that match and will be eager to extend his run of goals and assists.
In other Leeds United news, Palace could be without three players for their Premier League clash against the Whites this weekend.