BARNES STORMING ...IT’S IN THE BLOOD
Electric Harvey is firing in the goals for Foxes, following in the footsteps of dad Paul who was a 90s lower league hitman who scored twice for York against Man United
THE stunning form of Leicester’s Harvey Barnes shows he means business this season – but goalscoring is in his blood.
Dad Paul was a striker who banged them in for the likes of York, Burnley, Bury and Doncaster.
His feats included a memorable brace in a stunning 3- 0 League Cup upset for third-tier York at Manchester United in 1995.
Barnes Sr learned you get little in football without serious hard work, a message he has delivered since his son first started out at Leicester’s academy, aged nine.
He then encouraged Harvey – now 22 – to go on loan to adjust to senior football at MK Dons, Barnsley and West Brom.
His advice helped Harvey shine before developing into one of Leicester’s best performers. Like his father, the attacking winger is blessed with pace, which has helped Leicester to successive Premier League wins, and yielded a goal and an assist already.
Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers has described Barnes as “electric”, has backed him for England, and now they go to Manchester City tomorrow after opening with 3-0 and 4-2 wins.
Paul, 52, who lives outside Leicester near Harvey, believes his son is ready to become a consistent key performer.
He said: “If you challenge Harvey, he will step up to it.
“This season, he knows he needs to be creating more and scoring more.
“He has always been a player that, once he gets into a dressing room where he feels comfortable and has earned the right, you see him progress and push on.
“This season at Leicester, he probably feels a big part of the team. They look to him to create and that gives him that confidence to step up again.
“Harvey is at the stage now where the fans are wanting him to get the ball and drive the team forward.
“The ball goes to Harv and you think something could happen. He is getting that self-confidence to believe he can create something and not have any fear.
“The determination to go out every game and perform is hopefully where Harv is aiming to get to. He knows there is still loads to learn.”
Barnes Sr won promotions with both York, in 1993, and Doncaster, in 2003, as he amassed over 200 senior goals.
His own career could have been even better, had it not been for a cruciate knee injury as a teenage apprentice with Notts County.
But there looks to be no stopping Harvey, who is on course to better his six goals and eight assists from last term.
Barnes, whose daughter Megan is a structural engineer in Leicester, added: ded: “I would class myself as a good, honest centre-forward, ward, who knew where the net was and always gave his all.
“I was very quick and had a natural ability, but got hit by an injury, which maybe held me back.
“Harvey (right) had ability bility as a schoolboy and played ed in local games which was lovely. vely.
“Then it was all about bout encouraging that from m a young age.
“His mum Wendy and nd I have put into him that behind every successful sful person is a lot of hard work. ork.
“You don’t get anything hing given to you because your father played football.
“But I try to give positive itive advice and support. Even now, most days, we speak peak and have a chat.
“The way he dealt with h the loans was fantastic. He got kicked and learned three hree point s is massively v e ly important.”