Patrick Vieira is surprised by the question, as if the answer is blindingly obvious. “Oh yeah,” he tells The Athletic. “I don’t have a doubt about that.” David Villa is just as quick to respond. “I’m not sure where or with which club,” he says, “but I know that he will. It’s certain.”



Vieira and Villa are on opposite sides of the globe — Vieira managing Nice in France, Villa in Japan for one last adventure as a player with Vissel Kobe — but the World Cup winners are on the same page. The question is about Jack Harrison: is he good enough for the Premier League? Vieira is especially qualified on that subject, as good a midfielder as the Premier League has seen. “Jack is that good,” he says.



Harrison appreciates the endorsements but would rather not shout the odds himself. He is a thoughtful and unassuming character, as under-the-radar as footballers come, which is why we’re...