Published: Wednesday, 1st July, 2009 11:20am

Harper's captaincy woes

by Anthony Smith

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JAMES Harper has spoken of his captaincy 'nightmare' last season - but admits things could be different under Brendan Rodgers.

Harper was saddled with the job as club skipper Graeme Murty was injured for almost the entire campaign and vice-captain Ivar Ingimarsson missed the last five months.

But instead of being an honour it became a major burden and began to wear him down.

Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle, he said: 'I thought the captaincy was the biggest pain in the backside ever.

'It wasn"t really an honour at all. I know that will upset a few fans but it turned into a bit of a nightmare.

'I had wanted for it for ages but when Ivar passed it on to me he warned me and said: "you"ll see."

'I"m not having a dig at anyone but the way the captaincy was run at the time put me off completely.'

Harper, 28, also argued opinions of him as captaincy material were not helped by being constantly substituted by ex-manager Steve Coppell.

As Reading"s form stalled over the last third of the season Harper was often the first player Coppell would hook when things were going wrong.

And he says that in itself caused problems: 'If we were winning 2-0 the gaffer (Coppell) would always take me off with 20 minutes to go.

'I could be having a decent game but I"d always be the first to be substituted so people would think I was having a nightmare.

'Not only that but the other lads could see how the gaffer was treating me. They thought if he was mugging me off then why should they listen.

'I"d be trying to gee them up but what was the point when I would be taken off 10 minutes later? Then as soon as you start losing a few games people look immediately at you.'

Rodgers will choose a captain in the next few weeks and Harper is a firm favourite to get the job again as the club"s longest-serving player following Graeme Murty"s release.

And despite the past, he believes it could be a different this time around.

'It was a pain but I haven"t told Brendan that because things may change under him,' he argued.

'The captaincy could be completely different now, and I"m not saying I would turn it down.

'It never really worked for me last season but who knows?'

Meanwhile, it is thought a number of clubs are watching Harper closely after Middlesbrough failed to land him for £3.5 million in January.

The midfielder missed the end of the last season with a groin injury but confirmed: 'I"ve had a couple of calls but nothing to report. I"m just looking forward to the season because I think it could be a great one.

'Other than going on holiday I"ve been in training all summer. I want to make sure my groin is right for the pre-season. It"s still a bit sore but it"s coming on well.'

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