Alan Harper

Harper started out at Liverpool in the late 1970s, the club he had supported as a boy, but he never made a first team appearance for Liverpool before Howard Kendall took him across Stanley Park to Everton in the summer of 1983 for £100,000. Harper initially became first choice right-back but after a few months he lost his place to Gary Stevens, who went on to become an England international. From then on, Harper never really held down a regular first team place at Goodison but like Kevin Richardson, he became a vital squad player, filling in for various positions on the park when first-teamers were injured and frequently appearing as a substitute. During his first season, Harper scored a spectacular goal against his previous club Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at Goodison. Everton went on that season to finish runners-up to Liverpool in the League Cup before winning the FA Cup at Wembley in May, beating Graham Taylor's Watford 2–0. Harper was an unused substitute at Wembley and he received a cup winners medal as a result. The following season, 1984/85, Everton won the League Championship and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as well as finishing runners-up in the FA Cup to Manchester United. This was the most successful season in Everton's history and Harper played an important role as a squad player - he received both a Championship winners medal and Cup Winners' Cup medal (again he was an unused substitute in the final). Everton were not allowed to contest the following…

Everton

Football League First Division: 1984–85, 1986–87 FA Cup: 1983–84; runner-up: 1984–85 European Cup Winners' Cup: 1984–85 Football League Cup runner-up: 1983–84