JACK Harrison has no doubt he made the right decision swapping Bolton for the USA in his bid for football stardom.

The former Turton High School pupil played alongside Marcus Rashford at Manchester United before taking a leap of faith to develop his career in America at the tender age of 13.

And the move appears to have paid off with the 20-year-old attacking midfielder a regular in the New York City team for the last two seasons.

Last week he scored his first goal of the season, an 84th-minute winner against Sporting Kansas City, and his energetic performances have not gone unnoticed on both sides of the Atlantic.

Born in Stoke and raised in Bolton, he took the remarkable step of quitting United's academy to take up a scholarship at an elite private school in Massachusetts.

He was a trailblazer of sorts in a recent trend of young British footballers going overseas which has seen his lead followed by the likes of Jadon Sancho, Reece Oxford, Ryan Kent, and brothers Chris and Matty Willock who have left English Premier League clubs to try their luck abroad.

Encouraged by his mother, Harrison left Bolton and the United Academy and joined an American boarding school, before moving on to Wake Forest University and becoming the first pick in the MLS SuperDraft aged 18.

Traded immediately from the Chicago Fire to New York City FC, he has already got 49 senior appearances under his belt and is managed by Arsenal and France great Patrick Vieira, while David Villa and Andrea Pirlo are among his team-mates.

"I definitely have no regrets, especially now," Harrison said.

"A couple of years ago, I would always think about what would have happened if I had stayed at United.

"But now I have no regrets, I am happy to be here in the situation I am, playing with the players I am.

"I am learning so much and it can only get better, really.

"It can be tough sometimes for someone my age in England or anywhere in Europe to get the playing time that they want. And to be playing as much as I am, (I am) just really grateful.

"Marcus Rashford was a year below me but he always used to play up with us as well.

"He was always one of the top players in his age group."

Harrison is expecting more English players to try their luck abroad.

"Definitely, yeah," he said. "I think the way the game is changing now, you get these clubs that are just buying top players [in England].

"They are paying so much money for them as well and it makes it that much harder for the academy kids that have been there since six years old to try to make it to the first team.

"It's that much harder so I wouldn't be surprised if more players were to venture out and try different options."