OPINION
There were not many positives to take from West Bromwich Albion’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, but the performance of youngster Rekeem Harper was certainly one of them.
It was a tricky night at the Hawthorns and it took a late penalty from Jay Rodriguez after a somewhat controversial tumble from Dwight Gayle to rescue a point for the Baggies.
However, if you look amongst the drudgery that was Darren Moore’s side’s performance there was much to be encouraged about when watching Harper, and the club’s fans will surely be jumping for joy after seeing him.
He was the one bright light for West Brom in the first half, constantly trying to make things happen and dragging his team forward. He faded after the break, but that’s to be expected for a young man. He remains just 18 years of age after all, and it’s consistency that he needs to find moving forward.
However, he showed enough to suggest that he should be the centrepiece of this Baggies team moving forward. He is mobile, skilful and technically gifted, making him an ideal fit to replace the team’s ageing midfield core.
Gareth Barry, Chris Brunt, James Morrison and Wes Hoolahan are all in their thirties now, with their careers winding down rapidly. The Baggies need someone to replace them moving forward, and Harper could be that man.
You’re always wary of putting too much pressure on a youngster too soon, but Harper seems like he can handle it. He’s made a big impact of late and is clearly rated highly by Moore.
West Brom are an ageing team, there’s no doubt about that, and at some point they need to start planning for the future. Harper has the look of a star, and should be made the team’s centrepiece moving forward. Certainly after his electric display on Tuesday there won’t be many Baggies fans upset about seeing more of him.