Rekeem Harper: Exeter City move a chance for midfielder to become 'best version of myself'

Rekeem Harper has started Exeter City's last two League One matches

"Everything happens for a reason, and I strongly believe where I am now is an opportunity for me to work on myself and get better," says Rekeem Harper as he is asked about his loan move to Exeter City.

Despite being only 22, Harper has had a rollercoaster of a career already.

He was just 17 when he made his Premier League debut at West Bromwich Albion and went on to play 41 times for the Baggies in all competitions. He was even linked with possible moves to the Liverpool, Juventus and Tottenham three years ago.

But since then he has found game time harder to come by. After moving to Ipswich last summer for a reported £500,000, he spent the second half of last season on loan at Crewe before joining League One newcomers Exeter last month.

"I'm a strong believer that even though those opportunities would have been great for me, I've always surrounded myself with people that have always said to me to never have any regrets and always just work towards being the best version of yourself," he said.

"If you focus on what ifs and what could have been, for a lot of people it's going to lead to more pressure and more distress and unhappiness.

"I think for a period I think that's how I did feel, I had a lot of weight on my shoulders because I did look back to the past quite a lot.

"However, the place I'm in now, thanks to the people I've got around me - friends, family and psychologists - helped me to say 'this is where I am presently, what can I do now to get the best version of myself and to get the best out of myself?'"

'You forget how young he is'

Rekeem Harper's contract at Ipswich Town runs until the summer of 2024

Harper has played four times for Exeter, a club looking to establish themselves in the third tier after a decade in League Two.

Grecians manager Matt Taylor says the onus is on Harper, who has also had loan spells at Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, to force himself into his starting line-up.

"We're certainly excited about what Rekeem can offer," Taylor told BBC Sport.

"You forget how young he is. He's almost had a career before his age.

"But as much as his experience of League One is there, it's not consistent League One experience, it's not a guarantee of playing a certain amount of games.

"He's had Championship experience as well, but it's only in fits and spurts, so we're looking to him to play 30-plus games if not 40-plus games this season, alongside the cup games, and get a real grounding for his future.

"But within that we also want the quality that he possesses to be on show."

And the belief that Taylor clearly has in Harper has boosted the Birmingham-born player, who was capped by England at under-17 and under-19 level.

"I have to really knuckle down and find a role in a team and really help a team," Harper said.

"The manager's ambitions and the way he likes to work can really help me with that as he wants to win every football match, but he wants to win playing the right style of football.

"I want to really make an influence on the game, but also show I can dominate a football match by being in positions to receive off the back four, winning my second balls to then go and play forwards and get some goals myself.

"With game time comes opportunity to go and really show what you can bring to a team.

"It's another opportunity to develop and thankfully Exeter have given me that opportunity."