Harper hopes that his one-to-one lockdown sessions will unlock talent
The freeze on lower-league training which upset Hearts during the week could be good news for a former Hibs star.
Kevin Harper, a skilful winger for the Easter Road club in the 1990s, has been running his own coaching business just outside Glasgow since quitting his post as Albion Rovers boss in May.
And while the Jambos and others have been barred from running coaching sessions until August 24 at the earliest, Harper is able to carry on with his own individual sessions, working with young professionals from all four of Scotland’s senior divisions.
“Since lockdown, I have only been doing one-to-one sessions, which are fine under the restrictions,” said the 44-year-old Scot.
“They are all socially-distanced, so the risk to the players is as low as it could be.
“I have guys from all levels, from Premiership down.
“They seem to enjoy the extra attention they get from the individual sessions.
“I have all my coaching badges, and played at a high level, both in Scotland with Hibs, and in England with Portsmouth, Derby County and a few others.
“So we can work on technical skills if that is what they want, situations they might encounter in games or even make sure their condition is up to speed. I try to avoid just doing straight fitness work because it would be a bit of a waste of their time and expertise.
“It has been really popular. These are difficult times for young players in the game, and plenty want to be able to hit the ground running.
“They reckon having that little bit of extra sharpness the sessions can give them might be the edge they need.”
While Harper says he would like to get back into football management, he is realistic enough to know that this year it is likely to be tougher than ever.
“I would be looking at a lower-league club, and they won’t be going back until the middle of October,” he said.
“After that, you are looking at a
couple of months before any jobs start becoming available, so basically you’re talking about the turn of the year.
“I am happy with what I am doing just now. My goal will be to try to get my clients as ready as I can for the kick-off, and then follow them through their campaigns.
“It will be great to see the results of the work we’ve done come to fruition on the pitch. That will be really gratifying.”
Harper is confident his coaching credentials will allow him to watch the players he wants to in person, but he’s not sure what to expect.
“It is going to be very strange going to the closed-doors games,” he said.
“Fans are such an integral part of the experience of attending matches that it is tough to imagine it without them.
“We just have to hope the pathway we are on towards getting things back to normal all works out.”
The one-time Scotland Under-21 cap says he has been delighted to see Hibs get off to a flyer in the Premiership.
“It is early days yet, but they are looking decent,” he said.
“Jack Ross has got them playing in a nice shape, and everyone seems to know exactly what their role is in the side.
“That’s good news because they have the Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts looming on the horizon.
“I am particularly enjoying the way Kevin Nisbet has made such a smooth step up from Dunfermline.
“I will be using him as a role model for my clients!”