Rekeem Harper keen for more West Brom action

The 18-year-old impressed in midfield during Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup third round.

Head coach Darren Moore, who has coached Harper since he was 11, says he staked a claim for a regular spot with Jake Livermore currently suspended.

Harper is out of contract in the summer, but Moore is confident he will sign a new deal and the teenager insists he wants to play more for the Baggies.

“It was a great experience,” said Harper. “We’re very happy with the result.

“I was hoping to score with a few of the chances running into the box but, overall, I thought I made a good impression. Hopefully there’s more to come.

“I’ve never played in the Cup before. And I just like making appearances for this great club so I’m looking forward to making more.”

Harper was a striker until three seasons ago, when academy manager Mark Harrison converted him into a box-to-box midfielder.

"I was scoring goals when I was younger but I just wanted to be on the ball a lot more," explained Harper. "And then academy manager, Mark Harrison, said to me ‘we see you as a midfielder called Patrick Vieira.'

"He said he saw that in me potentially. At first I was naïve, I didn’t really want this but then I thought I like this and I can be involved and I took to it.

"The last few years I’ve kicked on playing in that position."

Harper's physical presence belies his years, but the fact he had to look up who Vieira was serves as a reminder of how young he is.

"To be fair, when he (Harrison) told me, I didn’t know too much about him," he said. "I liked players like Zidane and even modern players like Pogba and Yaya Toure.

"When he told me that, I went and watched him (Vieira) and there is a bit of a similarity in the way we play so hopefully I can get there one day if I keep working."

But the teenager is also learning the ropes from some of Albion's experienced heads in the engine room.

"A lot of the midfielders I look up to here because they’ve been in the game a long time," he said. "Gaz (Barry) is an unbelievable player, he's had a great career, he's a terrific footballer.

"Mozza is the same, and so is Brunty. They’ve all had big careers and when I’m watching them play from the bench, I learn a lot from seeing them

"It improves my game because I get the opportunity to do the things they do when I get my chance."

But the youngster also enjoyed playing alongside fellow academy graduates Sam Field and Jonathan Leko.

"We all know each other," he said. "We’ve played together for a long time. We all know what we can do.

"Leko, we know how special he is and Sam, we know how much quality he is, a very good footballer, and I’d like to think I’m a good footballer too.

"We all know what we are capable of and we all know what we can do for the future of the club."

Harper has been a regular in Moore's squad this season, and has started all four games in the League Cup and FA Cup.

Moore admitted he had staked a claim for a spot in the league with Jake Livermore suspended.

"I’d like to think so but at the end of the day it is up to the gaffer and we will see what happens," said Harper.