Birmingham City, Ipswich Town & West Brom all shared same frustrations involving ‘real talent’ | OneFootball

Rekeem Harper was highly-rated at West Brom, but his career didn't take off in the way many expected, which included spells at Birmingham and Ipswich.

When Rekeem Harper made his debut for West Brom as a 17-year-old in the Premier League, it seemed like he was the latest exciting talent to come through at The Hawthorns.

The Baggies are rightly proud of their record when it comes to developing talent, with Tim Iroegbunam, Finn Azaz, Tom Fellows and Morgan Rogers just some of the academy graduates featuring in the top two tiers.

So, the fact Harper was given his opportunity in the top flight shows that all connected to Albion had high hopes for the midfielder, and it was easy to see why.

Harper was seen as a box-to-box player who could get his foot in, progress the play, and also have the athleticism to cope with the demands of the modern game.

Rekeem Harper struggled to make his mark at West Brom

Albion were relegated from the Premier League in the campaign that Harper made his debut, which was obviously disappointing for the club. But, there was a feeling that dropping to the Championship could be ideal for the youngster.

And, whilst Harper played 26 games across the next two years, he didn’t ever establish himself as a regular, so when the Baggies bounced back to the top flight, it was hard to see where he would fit in.

That’s not to downplay Harper’s contribution at the time, as West Brom reached the play-offs and then won promotion, and he played a part.

Yet, with the club still having plenty of high-profile players in the squad, and little time to concentrate on developing individuals as they needed results, Harper’s development stalled.

Rekeem Harper didn’t take advantage of spells with Birmingham City and Ipswich Town

Therefore, the next step was understandably a loan, and joining Birmingham City in the Championship seemed a good option to allow the youngster to really show his quality.

But, for a combination of reasons, this didn’t work out. Admittedly, it wasn’t the ideal environment, with Blues changing manager months after he joined, and whilst he did play games, it was a difficult period for Harper and the club.

By this stage, it was evident that Harper needed a move away from West Brom, so when Ipswich came calling in the summer of 2021, it seemed a great fit.

Even though it saw Harper drop to League One, the Tractor Boys were a big club at that level, and shortly into his three-year contract, Kieran McKenna was named as the head coach.

Given his ability as a coach, he seemed perfect for the player, but, once again, Harper couldn’t kick-on in the way many expected.

Earlier in his career, Slaven Bilic had described the midfielder as a ‘great talent’, and McKenna also called Harper a ‘real talent’, yet neither could get him showing that ability on a consistent basis.

As Ipswich quickly made some significant strides under McKenna, it was apparent that Harper was being left behind.

Once more, loan moves were sorted, with Crewe and Exeter signing Harper before his deal at Portman Road was mutually terminated early.

Since then, Harper has bounced around the EFL, spending the past three years at Burton Albion, Port Vale and current club Barrow.

It had been hoped that Harper’s time at Vale Park, where he was reunited with popular former West Brom figure Darren Moore, would reignite something in the player, but even though it resulted in promotion, he departed in the summer after 18 league games.

With nearly 200 games as a professional across the top four tiers of English football, as well as appearances for the Three Lions’ youth teams, Harper has had a career that many would love.

However, when you consider the impact he made breaking onto the scene at West Brom, and the missed opportunities at Birmingham and Ipswich, it’s hard not to wonder what might’ve been.