Mark Harris says talks about his future at Cardiff City are on hold as the club try to avoid relegation to League One, but insists he is ready to step up if he is called up by Sabry Lamouchi in the next few weeks.
The 24-year-old has been a regular before but has struggled to find playing time under the current management regime. Since the Frenchman’s first game in charge of Luton, Harris has been limited to just three appearances off the bench in recent weeks, recording just 38 minutes of play in that span.
It’s a race that will raise pressing questions about his future at the club. The Wales international is out of contract this summer and there appears to be no sign of a new deal.
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Again, Harris himself admits that such talks are unlikely to be high on the agenda at the moment, as the possibility of relegation remains uncomfortably real.
“We have bigger things to sort out now to get out of the situation we’re in,” he told WalesOnline.
“I’m sure there will be a time and a place to talk about it. But this is probably not the best time to talk about it right now. Nothing has been said or decided yet.”
Despite the lack of playing time, Harris still believes he has a lot to offer in the coming weeks and says he enjoyed working with Lamouchi.
“It’s the same with any new coach,” he added. “He came in and tried to put his own stamp on things. We’ve had some good results recently and on Friday and Monday we have two big games that could define our season.
“But he’s been brilliant since he arrived. I know I haven’t been playing but I just keep my head down, focus, give it my all in training and hope he gives me that opportunity and I can reciprocate if he does.
“Each coach sees things in their own way. They pick the XI they think will win the game this week. I haven’t been that person these past few weeks.”
Another player in a similar boat in terms of not starting games is Welsh player Rubin Colville.
The striker has also been used sparingly since Lamouchi took charge in the capital and returned to the Wales Under-21s during the last international break.
However, he is still a player with great achievements ahead of him, and Harris believes the boy’s talent will soon be on display again.
“I always said that. I think he’s an incredible player,” Harris said of Colville. “From the moment he first came on, in that game against (Nottingham) Forest, when he scored those two goals. You immediately knew there was something about him. .
“But he was unlucky with injuries, which obviously didn’t help. But you can see when you train with him and when you play with him that he has these qualities.
“I’m sure it will continue next season and everyone will see how good it is.”
(Image: Getty Images)
However, for now, the focus is on the task at hand. A last-gasp exit by Rotherham United and a last-gasp derby defeat to Swansea City dealt a severe blow to Cardiff’s bid for survival. But Harris insists that spirits remain high at the camp.
“It was a tough season,” he continued. “Some games did not go as we wanted. But we played well in some of those games. It’s just about getting the three points in those games and that’s the main thing. The games didn’t go as we wanted, we didn’t. We had sins, but we stayed together. We all have high hopes and I’m sure we have enough to keep us awake and out of the situation we’re in.
“There is still confidence that we can get out of this. We all know what happened over the weekend. 2-0 to come back and then a last-minute goal is a nasty blow. We were obviously broke.
“But we are confident. We all feel we can get out of this situation and we just have to put him on the pitch and let our football do the talking.”
Mark Harris spoke at the Cardiff Happy Readers and Fun Football event, marking McDonald’s commitment to distribute over 10 million books and over 2 million hours of free Fun Football training to families across the UK this year. More information visit mcdonalds.co.uk/family
Source: Wales Online
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
