NEWCASTLE United keeper Steve Harper insists that his decision to stay at St James’s Park has been proved right.
The 33-year from Easington has spent several seasons playing second fiddle to his big pal Shay Given and has been a permanent fixture on the United substitutes bench.
But with the Republic of Ireland keeper struggling for most of this season with the groin problems he sustained at West Ham back in September 2006, Harper was thrust into the limelight – and he grabbed his chance with two very capable hands.
Indeed, for me, Harper pipped Nicky Butt and Habib Beye as United’s player of the season as he made his highest ever number of appearances in the Premier League.
His 19 starts was one better than his previous best, back in 1999-2000.
He told me today: “Looking at my time here, it seems a long time since 1999-2000 and, even though I managed more cup matches last season, this has been my best in the Premier League, and obviously I am delighted at that.
“All I have ever said was that I wanted to play week-in, week-out.
“In the last 18 months, I’ve played the best part of 45 games. It’s all I ever wanted to do.
“There were two or three years when people forget about you. You’re out of sight, and out of mind.
“People weren’t willing to take a chance on me as I hadn’t played sufficient games.
“I’ve never shouted my mouth off, I just said I wanted to play week-in, week-out, and I’ve really enjoyed doing that, and long may it continue.
“I was told that a few offers were made for me, and you get whispers of things.
“If you’d asked me 18 months ago, I might have been full of regrets, but the last 18 months have shown it was a good decision.”
Harper’s run in the United team and the way he performed will leave several Championship sides who were eyeing him very disappointed indeed.
And Kevin Keegan has already warned Rafael Benitez off trying to lure the one-time Liverpool fan to Anfield.
Unless anything untoward happens, Kevin Keegan knows that in Harper and Given he will have arguably the best pair of goalkeepers in the Premier League at his disposal again next season.
In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle on April 26, Given said that, after two successful groin operations at the renowned Dr Ullrike Muschaweck’s clinic in Munich, he feels that he can play “for years to come”.
Given was limited to 24 appearances in the season just ended, taking him on to 436 starts since Kenny Dalglish brought him to St James’s Park from Blackburn Rovers in 1997 – and within sight of United’s record-holder, fellow keeper Jimmy Lawrence, who chalked up 496 matches for the club.
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