'I'm more of a creator' - Harness wants to add assists to his goals at Town

The summer signing from Portsmouth has raced out of the scoring blocks at the Blues, bagging five goals in 12 games, making him the club's second-leading scorer behind Conor Chaplin.

And the 26-year-old said that there's still plenty more he can show fans, despite that fast start.

"I felt like it took me a little bit of time to get up to speed with such a high quality squad here, I felt like you've got to be on your game all the time and I maybe struggled with that for the first couple of weeks," he explained.

"But once the goals started flowing it just helped me to relax and I think I've settled in well. I've shown more of what I can do, but I think there's still a lot more to come.

"I'm really enjoying myself and hopefully I can just keep it going and keep building."

Marcus Harness celebrates at Burton Albion. (Image: PAGEPIX LTD 07976935738)

He added: "I've found some goal-scoring, but I still don't think I've shown me at my creative best - I'd say I'm usually more of a creator, assister, than I am a goal-scorer.

"Obviously I'll take all the goals I can get. I slid one ball in for Jacko (Kayden Jackson) at Accy (Accrington), but apart from that I'd like to show more of that side of my game because I think I can bring a lot in that way that I haven't quite shown yet."

When he signed for Town, the confident Harness vowed that he'd smash his Pompey numbers - 12 goals and six assists last season - 'out of the park'.

Now well on his way to doing just that, he was asked why he felt so sure that he could achieve more in Suffolk.

"It's not that I was so confident, I just believe that I've got it in me to do that," he smiled. "I don't think it's a given that I definitely will, but the system and the environment and everything around the club at my disposal gives me a chance to be at my best.

"And me at my best, I would hope I could knock those numbers out of the park. I'm buzzing to get off to a good start with the scoring, and I've just got to try and keep that momentum going - not overthink it, do the right things and the numbers will take care of themselves.

"Performance comes before that."

Marcus Harness reacts after realising his goal has been controversially ruled out. (Image: Steve Waller)

Of course, Harness should really be level with Chaplin on six goals for the season, his strike against Barnsley being controversially ruled out for a foul as he battled with, and ultimately shed, a Tykes defender before converting.

"Yeah, it should (be six)" he laughed. "I'm counting it as six to be honest - whenever I see it, in my head I'm adding one on, even though it's not official."

Asked what the ref had said to him about the goal that never was, he explained: "He said I pulled him back, that was as far as the explanation went. It is what it is, it's gone.

"I think the goal against Northampton (in EFL Trophy) was probably a foul and I got to keep that one, so I'll let it go.

"I'm still counting that goal, but I won't stay angry about it."

So, is there a competition going between Harness and Chaplin for that top scorer slot?

"Nah, we haven't mentioned it," he said. "We're just both happy to be scoring - as long as the team score, we don't mind who scores as long as we keep winning games, that's all that matters."

And the Blues have a lot of options for goal-scorers and match-winners this season, especially with the new five subs rule meaning they can essentially rotate their front players when they choose in games.

"When games do start to stack up, the depth and the quality in our squad suits us, compared to a lot of other teams in the league," Harness said.

"The depth that we have, everyone who comes in is just as dangerous as the next person.

"It's working well and the boys at the top end of the pitch are pressing and doing a lot of running, so being able to go out there and go 100% for 60 minutes and then know that someone's ready to come on and take your place and punish teams once they start to tire, it's a good place to be in and we want to use it to our advantage."

He concluded: "We've got a lot of individual quality in our squad and there's a lot of different people - anyone really - who could pop up with that moment and turn things for us.

"Whether that be a moment like my goal at Burton, or a set-piece, we think we have a lot of that in us and hopefully that bodes well for the season."