Ipswich Town decided to send Rekeem Harper out on loan during the summer transfer window, something that came as no real surprise considering he wasn't a key starter at Portman Road last season.

Joining from West Bromwich Albion during Paul Cook's summer rebuild in 2021, it looked as though he was going to play a regular part for the Tractor Boys after taking the decision to make the step down to League One.

But his impact was limited last term and that didn't exactly help his case this summer with McKenna deciding to offload him temporarily, with Dominic Ball and Panutche Camara arriving during the previous summer window.

Loaned out to Exeter City, this looked set to allow Harper to kickstart his career after failing to fully establish himself as a regular starter at West Brom and Ipswich.

Not only was he joining an Exeter side that would have been buzzing following their promotion from League Two at the end of last term - but he also had the opportunity to link up with a highly-rated young manager in Matt Taylor.

In terms of the Grecians this term, they have adapted to the challenges of the third tier well and currently sit in 12th place following their 1-1 draw away at Wycombe Wanderers yesterday.

Unfortunately for Harper, his game time has been limited, spending a decent chunk of his spell at St James' Park as an unused substitute and making just 16 league appearances this season, recording two assists in the process.

Fortunately for him, he seems to be in current manager Gary Caldwell's plans at the moment, coming back from his one-game suspension following his dismissal at Port Vale and going straight back into the starting lineup at Adam's Park yesterday.

Managing to remain fit throughout the campaign, he has given himself the best chance of being involved regularly and that has paid dividends following his spell on the bench, being regularly involved since the latter stages of January.

It's hard to escape the fact he's been criticised for some poor performances though.

Exeter's supporters have given him credit on social media when he puts in a good shift - but quite a few of his displays haven't pleased their fanbase and that may be because they had high expectations of him when he arrived.

Previously playing in the top two tiers of English football, Harper would have been hoping to impress this season and either put himself in the shop window or prove to McKenna that he should be a key part of the Tractor Boys' first team.

At this stage, he probably hasn't done enough and with his contract expiring in 2024, his parent club may want to offload him permanently in the summer.