JACK NOW RIGHT HYPE FOR SCOTS
SCOT GEMMILL reckons Jack Harper is ready to let his football do the talking now the hysteria surrounding his time at Real Madrid has gone.
The Scotland Under-21 prospect was tipped for the top as he progressed through the ranks at the Bernabeu, regularly scoring for the Under-19s under the watchful eye of Zinedine Zidane.
However, as with so many prospects, he failed to make the grade at Real, joining Brighton last summer and enduring an injury-hit ill-fated six-month stint at the Amex. He did not make a first-team appearance for the Championship outfit.
Seagulls boss Chris Hughton even noted that his Madrid pedigree was a hindrance, noting “there was a lot of hype around his move here and probably that didn’t help him.”
Harper returned to his hometown club Malaga in January and has swiftly rediscovered his mojo with their reserve side Atletico Malagueno who compete in the Spanish fourth tier.
Now his impressive form could be rewarded with a Scotland debut at Under-21 level against Estonia tomorrow night.
Under-21 boss Gemmill said: “When you are a Scotsman playing for a massive club then of course it is a big story.
“You are playing in a foreign country, speaking another language. I’m sure he did get a lot of media attention.
“That is the challenge for young footballers, not just to prove they can handle life on the pitch but also conduct themselves off it. But if they want to play to the top level that’s something they will have to learn to handle.
“I know from speaking to him that he is much more keen for his football to do the talking now and that sounds good to me.”
Harper has scored 11 goals in as many matches for Atletico Malagueno, helping them surge to the top of their league, and prompting Gemmill to make a trip to Spain to run the rule over the forward.
He said: “Since going back to Malaga in January, Jack has been in such good form that I felt I had to go over to watch him. I was impressed and pleased with everything he had to say. He was very keen to be involved.
“It may seem like commonsense but I’m sure being back with his family in a place he is familiar with will help him. Just judging him on performances, that shows me he is doing something correct.”
With 10 uncapped players in the squad for the clash at the Paisley 2020 Stadium, Gemmill is seeking to lay the foundations for a successful Under-21 European Championships qualification campaign.
He said: “We started to play the next generation of players in the games in September through November, so it is a really exciting time.”