STEVE HARPER wants to prove he can still be a steady pair of hands after bidding an emotional farewell to Newcastle United after 20 years service at St James' Park.

Harper, who has long-term plans to step into coaching and possibly management, is on the look out for a new employer and is keen to make up for lost time as an understudy to both Shay Given and Tim Krul on Tyneside.

It would have been easy for the 38-year-old to call it a day at the end of his long association with Newcastle, but instead he is determined to show he can still be a reliable goalkeeper.

Despite being the longest-serving player in the club's history, Harper's final appearance in Sunday's defeat to Arsenal was only his 199th for Newcastle since joining as a teenager in July 1993 from Seaham Red Star.

He did spend a month on loan at Brighton last season and moving to the Championship would seem a realistic option for the man from Easington ahead of his first real summer of personal uncertainty. Retiring, however, was never a step he considered taking this summer.

"I would like to keep going. At my age, I am more low mileage than I should be - and that's an understatement if ever there was one!" said Harper. "I would like to keep going because once you step out, you would miss the intensity and day-to-day thing and feel good, I'm in good nick and I would like to keep going."

Against Arsenal, Harper's performance was typical of a man often been asked to keep Newcastle solid by a number of managers during injuries to the likes of Given and Krul over the years.

Even when he made a mess of a clearance in the second half, the 38-year-old responded with a fine one-armed save low to his left to deny Theo Walcott's effort on goal.

Such a composed figure on the pitch and in the dressing room is likely to be considered by a variety of Championship managers when they draw up their summer transfer plans.

"A club would get a wise old head, I suppose, if they got me," said Harper. "Experience, positive influence, calming. A sounding board for young players. And 20 years at this club, you have pretty much seen it all so someone to bounce off and learn from."

Alan Pardew's decision to hand Harper the captaincy for his swansong added to a send-off from Newcastle fans he will never forget. He was reduced to tears during the match when almost 50,000 fans applauded and sang his name in the 37th minute in recognition of his shirt number.

Harper said: "I only found out beforehand, I was captain. I said I was more than happy for Fabricio Coloccini to be captain. He is a fantastic leader of this football club. We have some good characters in there. Yohan Cabaye has been captain.

"When the other lads get to grips with this club, I am sure there will be a few more leaders in there. Steven Taylor, back on Sunday, showed what a big miss he has been. He would be a fantastic captain.

"The new lads have had four or five months to find out what this football club is all about and I am sure Sunday made them realise what can be achieved here with hard work.

"It would be so ironic if the club go out and bloody win something next year. I will be cheering them on providing I am not playing against them."

And he thinks the players he leaves behind at Newcastle have seen exactly what it means to play for the North-East club.

He said: "I couldn't put it into words what it felt like on Sunday. It was incredible. Absolutely incredible. The fans have always been fair with me, very supportive through the highs and lows.

"And you like to think you develop a relationship with them by putting in the effort, not just on the pitch but behind the scenes to make this such a great club."

Harper is not the only Newcastle player to have played his last game for the club, with full-back Danny Simpson's advisors already in discussions to land him a Premier League move at the end of his contract.

Pardew remains keen to keep skipper Coloccini, who has been unsettled for most of the campaign, and his future will be high on the list of topics when the boss meets up with owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias this week.

Harper believes moves are being made to guard against a repeat of this season's frustrating relegation-threatened campaign by all of the decision makers.

He said: "The important thing is lessons have been learned across the board from top to bottom. The owner and the managing director came in to the training ground and said as much themselves. It's good to know those lessons have been learned and will be taken on board by everybody."