The long-term absence of Ben Purrington has allowed George Harmon to make Ross County’s left back slot his own for much of this season.
Purrington and Harmon were both among 10 new arrivals recruited by Malky Mackay in the summer.
At 26 Purrington arrived with a wealth of experience in England’s lower leagues, most recently with Charlton Athletic but also in spells with AFC Wimbledon, Rotherham United and Plymouth Argyle.
Harmon, who is 22, had been forced to take a different path after suffering the setback of being released by West Brom in 2021.
After spending last season in England’s sixth-tier with Oxford City, his performances earned him the supporters’ player of the year award.
That put him on the radar of Mackay’s head of recruitment Enda Barron, with the Staggies making their move to land Harmon on a two-year deal.
He was not initially a regular in the side, with Purrington starting the first 16 matches of the campaign in all competitions.
An injury in the latter stages of a 1-1 draw with Dundee United in October was diagnosed as an ankle fracture, which has kept Purrington sidelined ever since.
Harmon was returning from a hamstring injury himself at the time, but since then he has held down the left back slot – making 17 consecutive starts.
‘He looks like he has been playing left back for Ross County for years’
Mackay has been thrilled with the way Harmon has stepped up to the responsibility that was thrust upon him.
He said: “We had the senior pro coming in with 200 odd games, and the young pup who had done really well after the knock of leaving a Premier League academy.
“We thought he could actually push. Ben then unfortunately got injured with a really innocuous one, so for George to come in and be as competent and comfortable as he has been, he looks like he has been playing at left back for Ross County for years.
“You can go up and down, and you’ve got days when it’s not quite as good.
“But for him to come in at his age, and the lack of time he has been here, he has hit the ground running and been a reasonably successful seven out of 10 most weeks.
“It’s not an easy thing to do. Over the years people have come in from different leagues, at different ages and with different experiences.
“It’s not an easy league to come into, and just be the guy that gets picked in that position.”
Harmon has not taken long to make impact on Staggies’ side
Mackay admitted to being pleasantly surprised by the standard Harmon was already at when he arrived – having initially earmarked him as an acquisition with the long-term in mind.
After replacing the injured Purrington in the side, Harmon immediately showcased his attacking threat with two goals in successive victories over St Mirren and Hibernian in November.
Although he has not added to that tally since, statistics from StatsBomb show he has played an important role in County’s forward play.
Harmon has produced 17 key passes – also commonly referred to as “shot assists.”
That is the second highest tally in the Staggies’ side behind Yan Dhanda, who is comfortably out in front with 28.
Harmon has also made a strong defensive contribution in his full back position, having made 33.53 possession adjusted interceptions – which are interceptions proportionate to the possession volume of a team. (Source – StatsBomb).
That ranks him only behind Jack Baldwin (44.17) and Alex Iacovitti (39.53), who have been County’s regular central defensive pairing.
Mackay feels Harmon has shown his worth to the Staggies’ side, who moved out of the Premiership relegation zone with Saturday’s 4-0 win over Dundee United.
He added: “George went out to Conference South and into the big, bad world of men’s football at a really tough but good standard.
“We saw he played 40 games in his first season, and you don’t play 40 games for a men’s team at 19 without having something.
“That’s why we brought him in, but maybe as a succession plan to Ben. We had to throw him into a couple of games at the start when, really, he wasn’t quite ready.
“At the same time, when he arrived we were really surprised at how quickly he integrated on and off the pitch. He’s a really popular member of the group, and vocal in a really good way. He’s a great lad.
“The quality of how he trained every day was surprising, not only in his enthusiasm but his quality on the ball and how calm he is.”
County boss relishing left back competition
Due to the timing of Harmon and Purrington’s respective injuries, the two players have not yet had the opportunity to compete for the left back position as yet.
Although Mackay confirmed Purrington suffered a setback on his comeback trail, the Staggies boss insists he is pushing for a return to the side before the end of the campaign.
Given Harmon’s progress in the meantime, Mackay is relishing the opportunity to have both players fit and vying for selection.
Mackay added: “I’m delighted for George, because he’s a great kid and someone I’ve got high hopes for at Ross County going forward.
“He knows the challenges he has got – to push on with that consistency to make sure he’s even fitter and stronger and becomes more of a leader.
“The challenge is for him to become someone that we can’t take the jersey back off – because at the end of the day that’s what it is for all of them. That will be up to themselves.
“They haven’t competed yet, but what I would suggest is both have acted as if there is competition even though there has not been.
“That’s what you want – people thinking that somebody is breathing down their neck and they are pushing themselves on because of that.
“It’s a good problem to have.”
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