Alan Harper (footballer)
Alan Harper ( born 1 November 1960 in Liverpool ) is a former English footballer. The usable on different positions in defense and midfield all-around player was considered a good point guard and was chosen for its ability to " read " a game on average to be appreciated. His greatest successes came in mid -1980s with Everton when he 1985 and 1987 won two British championships.
Sports career
Liverpool FC (1978-1983)
Even before his 15th birthday, Harper joined in October 1975 as a student of the youth department of the local team FC Liverpool. In June 1977 he received an official training contract and was already equipped in the following year with the first professional contract. The desired sporting breakthrough did not materialize and in the next five years he failed a single insert in the first team. The high level competition at the position of central defender Phil Thompson and Alan Hansen, who scored at that time to the best defensive formations in Europe, Harper, never visited, and so it was agreed in June 1983 to a club change to local rivals Everton for a fee of 100,000 pounds.
Everton FC (1983-1988)
In the trained by Howard Kendall " Toffees " Harper debuted on August 27, 1983 against Stoke City (1-0 ) on the right -back position and also later he showed up on the left side and in more offensive roles in the midfield as a valuable reinforcement. Period of his career, he never was a particularly prolific player, but the rare hit often distinguished by the fact that they fell to the particular points in time. This included his first league goal in the Merseyside derby against former club Liverpool at 1-1 on March 3, 1984 to win the FA Cup in 1984, he contributed only marginally at. ; after Substitutes in the quarterfinals against Notts County ( 2-1 ), he remained unconsidered in each semi-final and final. In the following two years, Harper was on the role of complement player not out, and abode in the two cup finals 1985 - FA Cup ( 0-1 against Manchester United) and European Cup Winners' Cup ( 3-1 against Rapid Vienna) - and the following year in the FA Cup final against Liverpool (1:3) on the sidelines. Nevertheless, submitted his contribution to winning the English Championship in 1985 with twelve inserts for obtaining an official medal (ten in the starting of it). To this end, he had helped his team in the semi-final first leg of the European Cup Winners' Cup competition at Bayern Munich to a 0-0 draw, which the foundation was laid for the surprising progress. Another milestone was his goal in the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday ( 2-1 aet), which had the entry into the final in 1986 only made possible.
The subsequent 1986/87 season was the most successful season in the career of Alan Harper. To re winning the English Championship he steered the same in 36 games, where he primarily represented the beginning on the right-back position Gary Stevens and moved into midfield after his return. That he, however, was not so on the way to a permanent place, showed up in the following season 1987/88, as he indeed helped out in a variety of roles in defense and midfield, but has experienced longer periods of absence even to the middle of the round. In the summer of 1988, Harper joined ultimately for 250,000 pounds to league rivals Sheffield Wednesday.
Last club stations (1988-1996)
He remained there, however, only 18 months, and apart from a series of thirteen league games without interruption at right-back as March 1989, representing the following migrated Mel Sterland, he could not bring it in by Ron Atkinson trained " Owls " for key players. In December 1990, he then hired at Manchester City, where he met again on his former coach Howard Kendall. This made him increasingly playing on the preferred full-back position, but left in order to return to the Everton " Citziens " again and then Harper quickly found in the unpopular role as a reserve player again, where he mostly helped out in Manchester in the defensive midfield. In August 1991, it also attracted Harper back to Everton, who was thus committed a third time by Wilkinson. Two years acted Harper for Everton still in the English top flight and arrived in the newly created 1992 Premier League 18 times for the course. Transfer fee free then he moved in September 1993 to the second division to Luton Town.
In Luton Harper denied during the 1993/94 season just 41 league encounters, was it 40 times in the starting lineup and was going " set " as a central defender. Next stop was in August 1994, the recently ascended to the second division FC Burnley. There he was to give the team in the upcoming battle to avoid relegation experience and stability. But the set up to expectations he could rarely meet; in February 1995 that were added injury problems. After relegation to the third tier, he made the first team place for younger players and hired himself mostly in the reserve team. In November 1995, the Burnley FC him loaned to the fourth division Cardiff City and although the term was extended later, he showed deficits in terms of speed and ran on in just five league encounters. After an injury Harper returned to the old stamping ground, where, however, the contract expiring in the summer of 1996 was not extended.
After the end of his active career Harper returned to the beginning of the 2000s back to Everton. There he worked until 2005 as a youth coach before he focuses engaged from November 2007 on the scouting area. Here he first worked for the Bolton Wanderers and moved in October 2010 to Liverpool, where he zuarbeitete then coach Roy Hodgson.
Title / Awards
- English Championship (2): 1985, 1987
- Charity Shield (2): 1986, 1987