Rekeem Harper: My game is suited to Tony Pulis's counter-attacking style
Talented teenager Rekeem Harper says Tony Pulis’s counter-attacking style suits him down to a tee.
The 17-year-old made his senior debut for the Baggies at the weekend, when he came off the bench with 20 minutes to go.
And the box-to-box midfielder impressed Albion fans with a couple of exciting bursts from midfield.
Harper, who hails from Aston, joined the Baggies at the age of 12 when long-serving scout Colin Grigg spotted him playing for Silverdale FC in Walsall.
He was originally a striker but was converted to a powerful midfielder by academy manager Mark Harrison.
Having been on the bench several times last season and watched on as fellow youngsters Jonathan Leko, Sam Field, and Kane Wilson all played for the first team, Harper realised a long-held dream on Saturday.
“I’ve been waiting ages for this moment,” he said. “Running on I was so excited. We were winning at the time, so I wanted to help us see out the game and show the fans what I’m made of.
“Getting in the midfield alongside Claudio (Yacob) and Jake (Livermore) was just a really good experience because they’re such great players.”
Pulis is attempting to turn Albion into a devastating counter-attacking team. The Baggies had less than 30 per cent possession against Bournemouth, but almost double as many shots as their visitors.
Harper reckons his athletic game is ideal for that game plan.
“For my time on the pitch it was very end-to-end, they had a lot of the ball and then we had a lot of the ball,” he said.
“We were living off the counter attacks and sitting in, and it was suited to my game really because we were going forward and getting back, going box-to-box.”
Pulis is eager to send his best youngsters out on loan this season to give them an important grounding in lower-league football, but has so far been unable to let the likes of Field, Leko, and Harper go because of his small squad.
The nature of Harper’s season is determined by the players Albion can sign in the remaining weeks of the window, but the youngster insists he is happy to fight for his place at The Hawthorns or prove himself out on loan.
“If I’m here then I want to be pushing into the first team and pushing on from this because I want people to know what I’m about as a player,” he said. “But also, if I’m not here, then I’ll be doing my trade in a lower league and showing what I’m made of.”
