I had a 13-year career with the national team. I was very fortunate."
But Harkes was not only fortunate, he was also sublimely talented. Growing up in the soccer hotbed of Kearny, N.J., Harkes learned the game initially from his father, who he cites as one of his biggest influences growing up. Interestingly, his childhood friend Tab Ramos, also from Kearny, will be inducted Monday as well.
"Tab is one of those players that I've known for so long," said Harkes. "We grew up playing together and then had a lot of time together on the national team. Then we got to play against each other in MLS."
The third new Hall of Famer being honored in Oneonta is the man who used to back Harkes up in the midfield, Marcelo Balboa.
"I got to know him with the national team program and he was a very strong defender, did very well for us in the back," Harkes said of Balboa. "Over the years we were able to experience a lot of the highs of that particular time."
One of the men most important to Harkes' development as player is current U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena. Arena awarded Harkes a scholarship to play for him at the University of Virginia and was again coaching him when the pair won back-to-back MLS Cup championships in 1996 and 1997. Harkes encountered Arena again at the national team, closing out his career in 2000.
"(Arena) coached me at UVa, at the club level with D.C. United and with the national team. He was a very big influence on me," said Harkes. "Ron Atkinson, my coach at Sheffield Wednesday, is another. He gave me the opportunity to succeed overseas."
Harkes was a member of the Wednesday team that made it to both the FA Cup Final and the League Cup Final in the 1992-93 season, though they fell to Arsenal on both occasions.
Harkes will complete the circle from the old Wembley Stadium in London to At-A-Glance Field at the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum on Monday when he will lace up the old boots to participate in the Hall of Fame Game with D.C. United. The Black-and-Red will take on Balboa and the Colorado Rapids at 1 p.m. ET in a match that can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel.
"You never know, I could be struggling after 20 minutes or I could be trying to poach a goal," Harkes said. "I've always been a hardworking midfielder so maybe I'll drift forward a little bit and try to have some fun. It will be good to put the D.C. United uniform on again, mix it up with the players and have a little fun."
After all the accomplishments that Harkes produced through hard work and determination, he's definitely earned the chance to play one last game for pure pleasure.
Jonathan Nierman is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
