That's proper football

On Wednesday night, former Newcastle United goalkeeper Steve Harper will return to St. James Park for his testimonial - a match against AC Milan. In the context of the modern English Premier League, there are a number of unusual factors surrounding this game.

• The Newcastle squad for this match contains 21 Englishmen.
• The player has chosen to donate all proceeds to charity rather than to his own retirement fund.
• Harper is the longest serving player in the history of Newcastle United, with 20 years service at the club.

Never the first-choice goalkeeper, Harper was restricted to 157 league appearances for Newcastle in total, possibly denying himself a shot at an England call-up in the process, but not once uttering a word to the press about his 'frustration'. However, his loyalty and commitment have not gone unappreciated. Such is Harper's continuing popularity, that all 52,000 tickets for his testimonial on Wednesday have sold out. On his final playing appearance for Newcastle last season, the whole of St. James Park rose to a standing ovation before the end of the match, reducing Harper himself to tears and leaving a lasting impression on his children who were present about the important qualities of their father as a human being.

When the modern mercenaries of English football ply their trade in the Premier League next weekend, they would do well to remember the example of Steve Harper and the enduring value of loyalty and selflessness. It's telling that the greater players but lesser men who arrived at Newcastle for a season or two and then followed the route to fame and money elsewhere are absent from the teamsheet of celebrated ex players for Wednesday night. Harper's own words about his testimonial are typical of the man, “It’s important people realise this game is not about me – it’s about using my time served here to hopefully raise a lot of money for some of the fantastic facilities we’re fortunate to have on our doorstep.”

Wednesday night's match at St. James Park may be a footnote to the elite world of the Premier League, but it is a parable for where the true soul of English football resides.