Steve back playing the waiting game

Feb 14 2008 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

DESPITE another impressive performance as Shay Given’s deputy against Aston Villa last weekend, Steve Harper could be back on the bench by the time Manchester United arrive at St James’s Park next week.

A scan on Given’s injured groin – picked up when he tried to change direction to stop Wilfred Bouma’s deflected equaliser in last Saturday’s 4-1 defeat – has not revealed any major damage, and the Irishman has been told to rest before hopefully returning to full training next week.

With Newcastle already out of the FA Cup, the Magpies have a spare Saturday this weekend and the break is helping Kevin Keegan’s squad recover from a host of niggles and strains.

But while the likes of Given and Obafemi Martins (ankle) will be grateful for the rest, it is bound to be frustrating for Harper who would have loved to have been able to start another game this weekend.

“We will have to assess the situation again next week but Shay’s injury does not look as though it is a bad one,” said Keegan, who is putting his players through a rigorous training programme at the club’s Benton home as he attempts to end the club’s dismal run of nine Premier League games without a win.

“It was an unfortunate one because he did it trying to change direction when Villa scored and he had to come off. We were obviously concerned at first because he was in too much pain to continue, but we are hopeful he will be fit again by the time we play Manchester United next week.”

Harper could not be faulted for any of three goals he conceded against Villa and, had he not pulled off two magnificent saves to deny Craig Gardner after he replaced Given early in the second half, the Magpies may have slipped to an even heavier defeat in Birmingham.

The 32-year-old has admitted in the past that he has questioned whether to remain at the club because of his frustration at constantly playing second fiddle to Given. But the Easington-born stopper has already made nine appearances over the course of the present campaign because of Given’s persistent groin problems, to go with the 25 he made last season when his friend and rival suffered a nasty stomach injury.

And Keegan, who spotted Harper’s

potential when he was a teenager playing for Seaham Red Star in the Northern League, knows better than anyone how lucky he is to still have him at the club.

Whether Keegan is willing to pick Harper instead of a fit Given remains to be seen, but he has nothing but praise for the manner in which he conducts himself behind the scenes.

“I think we’ve got the best pair of goalkeepers in the Premier League, I honestly do,” said Keegan, repeating a view which has been held by every manager at St James’s Park since Sir Bobby Robson first uttered it. “We’re very lucky to have them. I don’t know every pair of goalkeepers at every club in the division, but I’ve seen or worked with most of them during my time as a manager. I signed Steve Harper as a young boy and I liked him then and I like him now. He will get his chances, I’m sure of that. He’s the sort of guy that, if you had a daughter, you’d be happy if she brought him home to meet you.

“Whenever Steve has gone into the side he has done well and I don’t think people realise how good he is. That was what our goalkeeping coach Paul Barron said when he first came to the club. I suppose Shay has just got the edge over him because he has so much experience. He has played so many games, not just with Newcastle United, but with Blackburn Rovers before that and with the Republic of Ireland of course.

“We’ve also got a couple of young goalkeepers at the club at the moment, Fraser Forster and a young Swedish lad called Ole Soderberg who has been training with the first-team squad. They are both learning from Steve and Shay, so we’re very well off in that position.”