The Welsh international's move to Leeds United was finally confirmed earlier this evening.
Leeds United new boy Harry Wilson has revealed what helped him choose Elland Road as his new home this summer.
The Welsh winger almost became a Whites player last summer, when Leeds believed they were in with a real chance of making him a last-gasp signing before the transfer deadline. Fulham had other ideas. A change of heart meant he stayed at Craven Cottage and having put the transfer saga behind him, Wilson went on to have a career season with 10 goals and seven assists in the Premier League.
It became clear as the campaign went on that Wilson was not going to stay at Fulham at the end of his contract, however. And though he's adamant he told his agent there were to be no conversations about the future until the season was done, he quickly came to terms with Leeds on a four-year deal. His pre-arranged summer training camp in Portugal delayed the announcement of Wilson's deal to this week and when he met with the local media at Elland Road he explained why Leeds' initial pursuit, which came prior to all of last season's goals, played a part in his decision.
Harry Wilson is now officially a Leeds United player.placeholder image
Harry Wilson is now officially a Leeds United player. | Getty Images
"It's really important to be at a club where you feel wanted, you feel like the club's doing everything they can to get you," he said. "I really felt that with Leeds. I would say last season was close, but I think things happen for a reason. I feel like I kind of put that to bed. I went into the season just gone with a clear mind that I wanted to do what's best for me, what was best for Fulham, and I've done that. Then whatever happens in the future happens. But I think this summer Leeds were really the team I felt that were pushing to get me, that really wanted me and that ultimately made my decision for me."
Another factor was the peer pressure piled on by Leeds skipper Ethan Ampadu, one of Wilson's many Wales international team-mates already at Elland Road. The captain was in full salesman mode this summer, just as he was last summer, to leave Wilson in no doubt as to how good a time he could have of it at Leeds. But Wilson was also taken by what Leeds did last season and what they hope to do to consolidate Premier League status.
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"I think being a newly promoted team last year, it was massive to stay in the league. I think once you do that, then you have to look forward and look upwards, and I look at the squad they got here, the players last year, how difficult they were to play against and I'm really confident that we can really improve on that season. I think that's what the aim of the season has to be."
Though the move and the four-year deal he has signed at Leeds has been done for some time, Wilson has purposely not gone about the business of saying goodbye to his Fulham team-mates and colleagues yet. He wanted everything to be made official before turning the page on what has been a long and successful chapter at Craven Cottage.
"I've been at Fulham five years, had an amazing time there, got some friends for life," he said. "I haven't [said goodbye] yet because I wanted to make sure the deal was completely done. So that's what the next day or two is going to entail. It's going to be tough, because, like I said, I've got friends there for life, not just players, but staff. When you're going into a building every day for five years and seeing staff on a matchday, there's some amazing people down there, so that's a really difficult part. But I'm also looking forward to the future here at Leeds as well."
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