He is fleet footed, great burst of pace, skillful, composed, mercurial finisher and has gone through one of the best Spanish football clubs youth set ups and he’s in the news once again. Well, if you’re thinking Spain have unearthed another gem, think twice.
BIO:
Name: Jack Harper
Date of birth: 28th of February, 1996
Club: Real Madrid (Juvenal A)
Position: Attacking midfielder/striker
Nationality: Scotland
The Harper family, from Barrhead in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, moved to Spain, where Jack was born almost twenty years ago.
Having been influenced by his elder brother who plays football too. Jack’s potentials were sighted by Sevilla who tried to sign him when he was just 13 after a trial. However, Real Madrid who had been alerted of a certain wonderkid swooped in and beat the Andalusians to a deal. And Jack would later claim there was never any doubt about which club he should have signed for especially, when he’s supported the club all his life.
Initially on one-year rolling deals, he proceeded to make his way through the youth system on the back of technical ability and goal scoring prowess, prompting Madrid to hand him a five-year deal in 2012, securing his future at the club until he turns 21.
But it was last season Jack Harper truly blossomed in the youth set up. Playing under the guidance of another fine striker during his playing days, Fernando Morientes, Jack finished top scorer for the Juvenil B side with 25 goals earning promotion to the Juvenil A side this season and he’s on course to represent the Castilla next season who are currently coached by Zinedine Zidane.
With the start of the UEFA Youth League, Scottish youth international Jack,18 at the time, demonstrated why everyone places so much confidence in him with a goal and a fine all-round performance in Madrid’s 2-0 win over Basel in their opening game.
In the opening game against the Swiss side, Jack was the star. He scored with a header and it was his bicycle kick, which ricocheted back off the bar, which created the second goal. Harper has scored three goals in this season’s UEFA Youth League.
The competition took the place of the NextGen Series and follows the same format as the Champions League, with each clubs’ youth teams facing each other around the same time as the senior sides meet.
Throughout the game all of his qualities were on show. His imagination and creativity often set him apart from his peers.
All of these rave reviews made Scottish football’s performance director Mark Wotte compare him to Manchester United’s Robin van Persie, and it is Wotte who has reportedly been key in keeping Jack away from representing Spain by quickly incorporating Jack into the youth set up in Scottish football and Jack insists, despite being born away from his parents’ homeland, he only ever wanted to play for Scotland.
He’ll be 20 by the time Euro 2016 arrives and if Scotland qualify then they would have a potential Scottish great in the side and could spur them to achieve beyond their expectations.
Barcelona’s Munir El Haddadi starred in last season’s UEFA Youth League, notching a brace in the final and finishing the competition as the top scorer. Six months later, he scored his first goal for the Catalans, won his first cap for Spain and debuted in the Champions League against APOEL Nicosia.
But Harper’s exploits so far seem not to have impressed the Scotland U-19 head coach, Ricky Sbragia, who said he has decided to go with a physical side to prosecute the games in Vienna where the Scots take on Austria, Croatia and Italy for a place at this summer’s European championship.
However, it’s expected Jack will still be a future and successful Scottish international, having pledged his international future to the country. Also, he has featured for the U-15, U-16 and U-19 Scottish sides on previous occasions.