Rekeem Harper

West Bromwich Albion

Harper joined West Bromwich Albion at the age of 12. He spent five years in the West Brom Academy, where he was converted from a striker into a box-to-box midfielder. He made his professional debut on 12 August 2017 as a second-half substitute in Albion's 1–0 win over AFC Bournemouth, in doing so becoming only the second Premier League player to have been born in the 2000s. In August 2017, Harper signed his first professional contract with the club, a deal to run for two years. Manager Tony Pulis looked to get the teenager out on loan to gain experience in the EFL before giving him more gametime in the Premier League. On 31 August, newly-relegated League One club Blackburn Rovers signed Harper on loan for the 2017–18 season. Manager Tony Mowbray said it was an opportunity for the youngster to "play some football and enjoy himself and show everyone his talent" whilst competing with Corry Evans, Peter Whittingham and Willem Tomlinson for a first-team spot alongside Richard Smallwood. He made his first start for Rovers on 12 September in the club's 1–0 win over Scunthorpe United. He said he was learning from the older pros at Ewood Park. He received a red card for a professional foul in an FA Cup tie against Crewe Alexandra on 3 December – Mowbray said he was "baffled" by the referee's decision. He made nine appearances for Blackburn, of which just one was a league start, before new Albion manager Alan Pardew recalled him to The Hawthorns in the New…

Harper was born in England of Jamaican descent. In February 2017, he represented England U17 in matches against Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands. In September 2018, he started for England Under-19 against Belgium. He played alongside Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho, and later said that "I remember... looking at those players and thinking this is the level you want to be at every week" and that "it's a really special memory I hold".

Harper is a versatile and intelligent midfielder who can contribute in both attack and defence with his strong physical attributes and sound technical ability. He describes himself as "an all-rounded midfielder who likes to play forward and take risk, and most importantly I'm a hard worker". His balance and powerful box-to-box style as a teenager earned him comparisons to Patrick Vieira. His career declined since that time, however. He is a player who requires his confidence to be built up in order to play at his best.

Rekeem Jordon Harper was born in Birmingham on 8 March 2000. He attended Aston Manor Academy and went to Aston Villa matches at Villa Park with family and friends as a child.