Newcastle Hub: Harper remembers the best and worst of a 20-year Newcastle career which ...

PUBLISHED: 18:09 EST, 16 May 2013 | UPDATED: 18:56 EST, 16 May 2013

Steve Harper will play his 199th game for Newcastle United on Sunday. It will also be his last.

The appearances may not be much to show for nearly 20 years at one club but he wouldn’t swap his time at the heart of the Geordies’ incredible Premier League story. Or would he?

He admits his loyalty is one of his biggest regrets. As he reflected on his career, and an endless supply of highlights, he revealed the torment of being understudy keeper to Shay Given and the darkness which surrounded him as he sat in dug-out after dug-out.

One last time: Steve Harper will play his 199th, and last, game for Newcastle this Sunday

He stayed thanks to the persuasive powers of Sir Bobby Robson. And he has experienced many highs and occasional lows, played with the best and worst characters and signings and under 18 different managers, or 12 without the caretakers.

'It’s too many,' said the 38-year-old who will walk out with his children James, nine, Olivia, seven, and Leo, two, mascots for the home clash with Arsenal on Sunday. 'If you turn off the tapes, I could tell you about them.

'The differences are vast. For me, the best managers are the good man managers. I am doing my coaching badges and if I go into it, then I have a very big pool of knowledge to pick from. A big shark-infested pool!'

The best: Harper rates Bobby Robson as the best manager of the 18 he's played under

The Highs

'I have a picture from the day I signed. I was wearing a shirt and tie and Kevin Keegan had yellow shell-suit bottoms on. I am sure I could dig that out. Terry Mac wasn’t much better.

'Colin Suggett came to my mum and dad’s house offering a one year contract. I had a place at John Moore’s University in Liverpool which I deferred for a year. One, not 20!

'My first day training was with John Burridge at Maiden Castle and I thought I was going to die.

'I was up and down, up and down. I thought he was trying to kill me. He was telling me I was too good looking to be a goal keeper, `you Italian looking so-and-so’, he said. I was hurting that day. I think he did it on purpose.

'I had come straight from college and I have not been up and down as much in the last 20 years.'

Two decades: Harper has spent 20 years at the club

Wanting more: Harper loved working with Shay Given

Shay Given

‘I remember when Shay arrived. He was a year younger and came into training and it was "phew, this has gone up a level. This is where you have got to be."

‘But it was great. We worked very well together, bounced off each other. He helped me and I’d like to think I helped him.

‘He is a great guy, and a fantastic goalkeeper. I did enjoy those years. It would just have been nice if I had got a bit more of it.’

Summing up the last 20 years

‘Rollercoaster is the word. It’s almost a bi-polar football club, isn’t it?

‘You are either reaching for the stars like the Champions League or you are going to be relegated. There is not enough middle ground.

‘It is almost not acceptable to be doing alright. It’s either everything is rosy or the world is caving in. There needs to be more of that sort of “we’re doing alright”.’

The lows

‘Those wilderness years. When Graeme Souness was here I was really struggling. Some good people at the club helped me through it. But there were some dark times.

‘These things are more open now but I probably was a little bit depressed, looking at it now.

‘When you have a good club like this and been part of it for a long time it is only right players admit to suffering. I was probably about 30, and it was really tough.

‘You need help. You can’t fight it yourself. You have to speak to people and get help. That is what I did.

‘I got through it with the support of my family and particularly Lynsey, my wife, and by going to see a little old lady, a counsellor, and with medication from the doctors.

Dark times: Harper admits he may have suffered from depression

‘It helps you through it because the more you try and fight it yourself, the more it gets a hold of you. Fortunately more people are speaking of it now and it is almost more acceptable.

‘I like to keep an eye on players now who I think are may be struggling.

‘As an older pro I have gone up to somebody who I think might be struggling and said: “Are you alright?” And they have gone: “Yeah, yeah.” And I have responded: “No are you alright..” I said to them `listen I have had a hard time once, let me know if you are struggling because I am here for you.’

Steve harper

Staying

‘If I could speak to myself ten years ago I would do it differently. Shay and I were neck and neck, then he kicked on for four years and I played about six matches.

‘I played the first game of the season under Graeme Souness in Slovenia and I never played again that season. That just is not right. I should have done more about it at the time.

‘I probably blame Sir Bobby. I rapped on his door many times, asked for a move and he said `I need you, Shay might get injured’. He had that persuasive loveable thing when you entered the room like a bear with a sore head and left it giving him a hug.

‘I hadn’t played enough games for people to come in and pay whatever they wanted. There was uncertainty about me. There were whispers but nothing concrete.

The best: Alan Shearer was the best player Harper has played with at Newcastle

‘I did not want to cause a fuss. It’s not what you do, is it? I once went to see the manager and it was in the papers. Sir Bobby battered me in his book about it.

‘I played in a couple of Champions League games and am delighted we won them. It was a great time to be part of Newcastle United and I got carried along with it.”

What message would you give to future Newcastle players?

‘Just give it your all, day in day out. Newcastle fans know if you’ve put the shift in, and then they’ll back you to the hilt.

‘It’s a great club to play for, but it can be a difficult club and we’ve seen that with players over the years, who have gone elsewhere and succeeded, who have found it tough here.

‘It can be a heavy shirt, the Newcastle United shirt and you need to stand up and be counted.’

Best player

‘Alan Shearer. He was just amazing. His goals. He was always the toughest opponent in training.’

Daftest player

‘Steven Taylor would be up there. So would Tino Asprilla. And Budgie (John Burridge), although he was a coach. He got himself on the bench ahead of me for one game. I’ve still got the scars.

‘Budgie was crazy. He used to ring me, my dad would answer the phone and he would say: “Tell Steven it’s his dad”.

'And my dad would answer: “It is his dad”.’

Daft: Defender Steven Taylor

Best saves

‘I made one on my debut against Boro from Brian Deane. The ball bounced up and I got it over the bar, but it was pretty much all downhill from there.

‘Sheffield United was very important in the Championship. We were backs to the wall and I pulled off a save. That was a momentum-building moment for us.

‘People had written us off, a lot of questions had been asked, but we had that spirit and togetherness. The dressing room we had then was a real high.’

Steve harper

Best three games

‘Juventus was pretty special. We’d played Blackburn in awful conditions and Shay had a terrible time. Bobby said ‘you’re playing’ and I was like ‘yeah, great’. And then I realised it was Juventus! I had a pretty quiet night and we managed to win.

‘Plymouth, winning the league down there, especially after an eight hour bus journey because of the ash cloud.

‘In the dressing room afterwards, we were six inches deep in liquid! This old guy came in with cups of tea for Joey Barton and Alan Smith and we all started singing ‘there’s only one Bobby Robson’. He loved it as well. That’s the last I remember of that night.’

Incredible: Cheick Tiote equalises in the final minutes of the 4-4 draw with Arsenal

Newcastle 4 Arsenal 4

‘It was incredible. When we came into the dressing room at half time I just walked through the door and said if anyone puts the white flag up here it is going to be double figures.

‘Then the gaffer made a fantastic speech in which he - how shall I put it - reminded people of their responsibilities.

‘To come back and draw that game just sums up the emotion of being a professional footballer. To be 4-0 down after 26 minutes in front of the Gallowgate End was not much fun.’

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Harper remembers the best and worst of a 20-year Newcastle career which ... - Daily Mail

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