BLACKBURN fans are wondering whether Harvey Higgins is the latest in a line of academy products to make it all the way to the Premier League.
There are hopes the 15-year-old will follow in the footsteps of Adam Wharton and David Raya in starting their journeys to stardom at Ewood Park.
PLAYING STYLE
Speak to people connected to the kid and there are early comparisons in the style of play to Jamie Vardy, Leicester’s irrepressible centre forward who is still going strong at 37.
Higgins loves to chase a ball from over his shoulder and run on before unleashing his strength and finishing ability.
He has scored 12 goals in his last six games for Championship Rovers’ Under-16s. They include two against Manchester United, hat-tricks against Derby and Wolves and one in a game against Liverpool.
He has already trained with the Under-21s yet is still in his GCSE year at school.
Being powerfully built and 6ft 2in he does not share Vardy’s more waspish physique but instead resembles more a young Erling Haaland.
But even those close to this hot prospect say there is much work to be done before genuine comparisons can be made.
Nonetheless, he is making his presence felt at Ewood Park, and elsewhere.
Higgins already has a commercial contract with sportswear giants Puma and is attracting interest from the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
RISE TO THE TOP
Harvey comes from a grounded family. He played for his school, district, and county team but that is being reduced now as his hopes of a professional career blossom.
Being so strongly built, he looks a lot older than his years. He previously trialled at Manchester United, Liverpool and Man City at Under-7s but is now a young jewel in Blackburn’s crown.
WHAT ARE THE EXPERTS SAYING?
There are some at Rovers who prefer to keep quiet about Higgins because he is still so young and very much a work in progress.
However, it is hard to keep stats like his goals under wraps and the fact that he has previously been clocked running the 100m in 11.01 seconds. Lightning for a young footballer.
NEXT 12 MONTHS
He is too young to loan so steady and accelerated progress through the youth ranks if all goes well and Higgins continues to meet the challenges being set for him at Rovers.
There is even hope that by the end of this season he may even be granted a first-team debut, even if just for a few minutes, to raise his head above the parapet and be seen by football at large.
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