Harper sought a fresh start with Hercules after years of battling injuries and fluctuating form. His Alicante chapter ended amid high hopes, then disappointment. He began with promise, delivering solid performances and scoring twice, yet the momentum faded quickly as injuries and bad luck mounted. The November knee issue altered the course of his season, pushing him toward a struggle he could hardly reverse. From that point, his presence on the pitch dwindled, and the club faced a difficult reality as Lolo Escobar tried to fill the striker role until Jean Paul offered a glimmer of relief in the opening minutes of a match.
Across the sea, a Scottish-born Malaga connection added another layer to the saga. After years of lingering setbacks, the player endured more than half a season on the sidelines. Hercules’ management misread the relapse risk that a two-goal striker would have meant last summer, leaving the squad exposed as a bid for promotion stalled by injuries and timing.
The club had hoped the Getafe loanee would drive the team toward a strong finish at Rico Pérez, but he appeared in only 17 games. The trend mirrored what happened at Racing Santander the season before, with limited minutes and a sparse goal tally. Harper accumulated 980 minutes and two goals for Hercules, yet the season was clipped short by a broken toe, preventing a full run at the campaign’s close.
In the end, the decision came to move on. The striker would not remain with Hércules and would return to Getafe, a club he had, curiously, never fully represented on the field. Madrid’s outfit has entrusted loans to Alcorcón, Cartagena, and Villarreal B, as well as stints with Racing de Santander and Hércules over the past five years, painting a picture of a career in search of stability.
Harper’s path since leaving Málaga in the 18-19 season has been marred by recurrent injuries and a sparse goal record. Doctors once diagnosed him with chronic rheumatism, a label that underscored the physical toll of his journey. He recalled a tough early loan spell with Alcorcón, where weakness and fatigue grew into a major hurdle. Swelling ankles and limited mobility steadily eroded his confidence and his ability to contribute on the field, raising questions about his readiness for a fresh start at Hercules.
Within Hercules, the gamble on a quick turnaround proved treacherous. The club faced urgency to move up from the lower division, yet Harper’s injuries kept him off the pitch when it mattered most. Since returning to action on February 5, he has appeared in only five matches, none of them completed, with a single start to his name. A broken toe later kept him out of key playoff appearances, sealing a difficult chapter in his career.
With the loan spell concluded, Harper returned to Getafe, stepping back to seek another opportunity that could realign his career arc. The reality remains clear: a string of injuries and inconsistent form over several seasons has limited his impact at Alicante, leaving a long list of clubs to consider for a fresh start and a chance to prove his enduring value as a professional striker.