Gary Rowett praises Mark Harris in U’s team explanation

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Byadmin
November 27, 2025

Gary Rowett praises Mark Harris in U’s team explanation

Gary Rowett praised ‘excellent’ Mark Harris after a bold call to include the out-of-form striker in the Oxford United starting line-up against Norwich.

The U’s drew 1-1 with the Canaries with a last-gasp Filip Krastev equaliser saving their blushes at Carrow Road.

Harris, who is without a goal this season, replaced this season’s top scorer Will Lankshear in the starting XI which caused some confusions amongst the fanbase.

Withdrawn after 66 minutes, the Welsh international was encouraged by his head coach after the game.

“Pressed brilliantly, Sparky,” Rowett told the press.

“I thought he set the press off. I thought he was excellent.

“Him and Luke Harris were the energy we needed early in the game to stop them building any sort of pressure.

“I felt as though it was a game in which we didn’t want to give them any lift early on in the game with a new manager’s first home game. I thought we really stopped that.

“We stopped the stadium from building any real sort of momentum on the back of their performance.

“I thought Hidde ter Avest as well gives us that nice bit of composure on the right, he linked really, really well. It left us with the changers fresh late on and maybe with some of those changers fresh for Friday. So, that was the thinking behind it.”

With captain Cameron Brannagan out for a good few weeks, missing the trip to Norwich earlier in the week, Rowett used his only real two midfield options in Brian De Keersmaecker and Will Vaulks to hold down the centre of the park.

“I felt that Brian and Vaulksy played really, really well.

“I thought Vaulksy in there gives Brian a little bit more license to go and join in as well. I thought you could certainly see that energy further forward in the pitch.

“Of course, with Cameron you’re always going to miss that one moment where he might go and stick a free kick in from 30 yards out but we’re going to be without him I would imagine for a little while.

“It’s another opportunity for people to step up. [We have] two very good players in there and I thought they performed well today.”