John Harkes, 32, joined the U.S. national team before any of the other 33 players Bruce Arena called into the first training camp of 2000. Harkes looks back on his U.S. career and ahead to playing for former teammate Fernando Clavijo in New England.

SOCCER AMERICA: You first joined the national team at age 20. What do you remember from your first camp?

JOHN HARKES: A little apprehension, a little nervousness. I was still young, not just in my years, but in my maturity. I had experienced some good years at the University of Virginia with Bruce [Arena], which I think helped me grow as a player before I went into it.

I was just kind of happy to be there at that stage. There were a lot of quality players in the camp. I just wanted to go in there, see what I could do and measure myself against those guys. It was a great experience. For me, I think it was key getting involved at such an early age with the national team in helping me develop a little quicker.

SA: Could you talk about how the national team program has changed since then?

JH: It was a work in progress over the years. Early on, it was basically, “Let’s get our team together and see what we can do.” As it developed and grew, it became a lot more organized. The training sessions, in terms of where we were going to meet next, was difficult at times.

One thing I remember is that we were in the same type of situation that the women are in now. We signed professional contracts with the national team to train full time because there wasn’t anything else available.

There was no professional league to go into. We were getting brought into camp for four weeks at a time with Bob Gansler building up to the 1990 World Cup. At times, we’d play friendlies against college teams. … For me, it has always been prestigious and always been an honor, but I think now it has become so competitive.

More and more players are playing overseas and, obviously, with MLS. Players are becoming professionals every week, and the more you do that, the better base you have.


‘Guys have to be ready’

SA: You’ve played quite a bit under Bruce Arena. Does that give you a sense of how this camp in January will go?

JH: Bruce is a very focused individual. When he takes on a project, he doesn’t take it on half-assed at all, he goes right into it. He prepares himself very well, and I know that since the time is limited – a lot of guys are playing overseas and the MLS training starts in February – that this camp is going to be a very competitive one, and it’s going to be down to business right from Day 1.

For myself, I’ve been training in the offseason a great deal more in the last couple years than I ever had before. Guys have to be ready. To get game fit, when you get in on [Jan. 5] and we have a game against Iran on the 16th, you have to be fit before you get there.

Bruce has sent letters to all the players telling us we have to be fit. He’s an individual who wants results, and we’ve got to do it.

SA: Bruce is the fifth national team coach you’ve played under. How much does the national team’s personality change with each coach?

JH: The coach’s personality – how he comes across to the team and the stamp he puts on the team off the field – has a great deal to do with the personality that is seen on the field itself.

Bruce has a lot of common sense in terms of when to be funny, goof around and be loose and when to say, “Look, now we need to get down to work.”

He demands you to play at a high pace. Players respond to that because Bruce gives respect to the team as well. And a lot of players are familiar with Bruce now, whether it’s through the college game or MLS.

SA: Can you describe how your role with the national team has changed from the beginning until now?

JH: Obviously, in the beginning, you’re just one of the rookies, you’re just trying to fit in and see what you can add to the program.

Everything is accomplished by the team, not by individuals, so you have to always look at how you fit into that team. I’ve become one of the older players, one of the more experienced players now. … I don’t know what role I’m going to be playing with the national team.

Getting called back in for the Confederations Cup was great for me. We played well as a team, and I thought I contributed. It was just good to be back in there again, to be a player with the U.S. team and put a uniform on. I’m excited about it.

I think the things I have gone through – the highs and lows that I have experienced in my career with the national team – enable you to not only become a better person but also a better player and be more aware of what’s needed at the national team level. I just have to work hard every day and never take it for granted.


‘Friendlies are a lot different’

SA: Entering 2000, with the national team still at the beginning of a new era with Bruce as coach, does it give an extra sense of excitement to this camp?

JH: I think so. I think I can speak for a lot of the other players when I say that everybody is excited about what’s happening at the national team level. We’ve got a great mix of players and it’s very organized.

The guys are ready to go. We’re ready to actually put things behind us, especially with the World Cup not going according to a lot of people’s plans. We’re trying to erase that. And I think we’ve done that to some extent. But a lot of it was friendlies, and Bruce will be the first to say that friendlies are a lot different from the actual competitions.

SA: How do you think it will be playing for Fernando Clavijo, one of your former teammates with the national team, in New England?

JH: I think it’s great. Fernando’s a great guy. I got to know him pretty well with the ’94 team. He was a good player, he understands the game very well and he’s in touch with the players. I know they spoke highly of him at the MetroStars.

Hopefully, we can turn things around. We have a good squad up there, and it’s been trial and error every year, I guess, with the Revolution. For me, obviously, that was a different scenario and a change, but it was a good test as well. I enjoyed the season, although I think we had so much ability up there that we could have done better. It makes you think twice – you don’t want to waste another opportunity.

by Soccer America associate editor Will Kuhns