Released Blues midfielder Rekeem Harper has joined League One Burton Albion on a two-year deal.

The 23-year-old’s Town contract was terminated by mutual consent yesterday following a disappointing two years at Portman Road.

“It felt like the right time of my career and the right club and the right manager to really spring me forward,” Harper told the Brewers official website.

“Whenever you sign for a new club there is excitement and you just want to meet the rest of the boys and get going.

“It’s great being a Birmingham boy to be here as there’s no place like home and being able to have family around me and supporting me.

“The manager has seen the strengths in my game and seen the things to work on. He has ambitions and as a player I share those visions.

Burton manager Dino Maamria added: “He's a top midfielder who had a lot of success at a young age but hasn't really been settled after being sent out on loan, which is not easy sometimes.

“What he liked about us is that we have given him a home for the next two years and hopefully beyond that. He's still only 23 but already has a lot of experience. But he can still develop and improve. We are delighted to have him here.”

Harper joined the Blues in the summer of 2021 from West Brom for a fee understood to be in the region of £500,000, signing a three-year deal.

The former England U17 and U19 international started the 2021/22 season in Paul Cook’s side but gradually drifted out of the picture and wasn’t involved after Kieran McKenna took over as boss and was sent on loan to Crewe Alexandra for the second half of the campaign.

Having started the Carabao Cup defeat to Colchester United, Harper was sent on loan to Exeter for the rest of last season where he made 16 starts and seven sub appearances.

In total, the Birmingham-born schemer made 11 starts - six in the league - and eight sub appearances for the Blues without scoring.

Photo: Matchday Images

Hipsterectomy added 16:06 - Jun 29 Is this the news that broke TWTD?
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PhilTWTD added 16:09 - Jun 29 Ha, no that was some server work which didn't go as smoothly as planned.
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midastouch added 16:16 - Jun 29
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ImAbeliever added 16:17 - Jun 29 Excellent. Good luck Rekeem.
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barrystedmunds added 16:18 - Jun 29 Thank fcek for thot!!! Thought it was my very dubious IT skills failing me again!
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Saxonblue74 added 16:19 - Jun 29 Best of luck to him. Will probably flourish there
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Suffolkboy added 16:23 - Jun 29 And the best of luck ! – but sounds a bit of a drifter who lacks spunk and character if he ‘needs' a new Manager to restore his own belief and confidence . K M's record and ability is pretty much established now ,but RH simply didn't match up ,either to his own expectations or ours ! GO but do push on ! COYB
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benfromkent added 16:27 - Jun 29 This feels a little odd... If he had time left on his contract (which he clearly did), we'd be able to command some sort of nominal fee for him (if we wanted)? However, we terminate his contract yesterday and the next day he signs for Burton on a free. Ultimately its fairly irrelevant as we happily lose the headcount and wages, but if this was all lined up (which it seems like it was) it just feels a bit strange we didn't look to get a nominal price for him and the whole 'terminated by mutual consent' seems a bit weird. We could have just let Burton sign him for nothing if that was all we could get in order to offload him? Maybe some clever accounting to stop agents getting pay outs or something in that ballpark? Either way, good luck to him though, glad he's got a club.

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Bluearmy_81 added 16:29 - Jun 29 Couldn't we have got a few quid for him? Better than nowt!
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RegencyBlue added 16:31 - Jun 29 Thought we had a player on our hands when he made his debut but that was as good as it got and it was all downhill after that! Obviously not part of our plans going forward so best for all parties he moves on.
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Saxonblue74 added 16:42 - Jun 29 We didn't terminate his contract, it was by mutual consent.
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VanDusen added 17:05 - Jun 29 Guys - think about it and do the maths. So Burton say - "we're not paying a fee for him but we'll take him on a free" and we say no to hold out for a fee. So Burton look elsewhere for their midfield options, we end up not being able to offload him and by the time you've got another couple of months' wages - or worse the whole year - then it's totted up as way beyond anything we could get for a player who's clearly not in our plans. Even before his frustration and resentment starts to fester around the otherwise amazing feelgood feeling at the club at present. Honestly, some of the armchair businessmen on this forum wouldn't last a month in an open market...

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Linkboy13 added 17:59 - Jun 29 Excellent opportunity for him at a decent but he must grab it with both hands as his career is spiralling down hill. A player with a certain amount of ability but lacking in desire and hard work and without this your career will only go one way.
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blueboy1981 added 18:59 - Jun 29 He'll do well there. Best Wishes and Good Luck Raheem.
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HatStand added 18:59 - Jun 29 Gone for a Burton
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Rimsy added 19:00 - Jun 29 Good luck to him. Pity we couldn't get a fee, but more important to free up another squad place so there's room to bring in who we want.
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blueboy1981 added 19:10 - Jun 29 Several outgoings - one incoming thus far, and Squad back in Training ! Are we going to have the same old ‘players need time to settle and gel' - just asking ?? Meanwhile the Clock ticks down to what will be anything but an ‘easy' season - but an extremely important one. A struggle just must not happen - relegation would be a DISASTER ! Signings WILL be needed … !!

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Pettabelieveit added 19:36 - Jun 29 Flattered to deceive. Definitely has ability but a lot more is needed to play 30+ games consistently over a season in the football league. The gulf between Harper and say Morsy is enormous!
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Steelmonkey added 19:39 - Jun 29 Good luck to the lad, thought we had a real star in the making the first few games he played. I expect West Brom did as well. Sadly for whatever reason it didn't happen, any player a team signs can be a gamble. Players that we had like Dozzell and Downes who most of us thought would make the grade with us similarly didn't work out. We move on.
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blueboy1981 added 22:05 - Jun 29 ….. anyone who is deluded enough to think we'll cope with the Championship without perhaps three signings, may be in for a shock. No Hirst - invaluable last season, has gone and needs replacing for sure. It's not being Negative, it's being Realistic !! No longer League 1 remember !!
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765765 added 22:07 - Jun 29 Good news and good luck Rekeem!
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