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In the end it was Derby County who landed the diminutive midfielder, with then Rams manager Jim Smith paying £300,000 for Harper in September 1998. Despite clear potential, Harper failed to impress at Derby, and he was loaned out to Walsall in December 1999 for the remainder of the season, Kevin making nine appearances and scoring one goal for the Saddlers. However his spell at Walsall was cut short when Portsmouth made an offer of £300,000 for his services in March 2000, Harper leaving Pride Park for Fratton Park after making just 32 appearances and scoring only one goal for County.
The 30-year old would remain on the south coast for almost five years, although he did spend loan spells at Leicester and Norwich where he made 11 starts in total between the two clubs. Harper though being a crucial member of the Portsmouth side that won the First Division title in the 2002-03 season with a huge 98 points, and his excellent performances down either wing for Portsmouth earned him a place in the full Scotland squad.
In January 2005, after making 119 appearances and scoting nine goals for Pompey Harper joined Stoke City for a nominal fee in January 2005. Kevin has often struggled with injuries throughout his career though and this season with Stoke has been no different as a dislocated shoulder at the start of the year, after a hamstring strain in pre-season, ended his campaign with the Potters prematurely.
Those fitness problems have meant that Harper has often struggled to make the starting eleven at the Britannia Stadium, Kevin only making 16 starts, plus 13 as a used substitute, while scoring just the one goal in the process in Staffordshire. That lack of first-team action alerted Neil McDonald to Harper's availability with the United boss making his move today to try and turn some chances into goals in his injury-hit and out-of-form forward line.