The legend word is bandied about so often in a sporting context that it sometimes loses its meaning. But where Everton are concerned, Harvey certainly merits the tag.
His name was associated with the Toffees for more than 40 years. As a player, he was part of the club's famed 60s Holy Trinity of Howard Kendall and Alan Ball that helped Everton to the League title in 1969/70.
When injury ended his playing career, Harvey was invited back to Goodison, where he became a key member of the backroom team that included a three-season stint as manager. When a brief spell at Oldham in the mid 90s came to an end, he was very soon back at Everton where, as youth team coach, he helped unearth a young Wayne Rooney.
He retired in 2003 but in the summer of 2007 was coaxed back into the game when he was asked by then Bolton boss Sammy Lee to lend his wealth of knowledge and eye for talent to the scouting team on a part-time basis.
"Sammy asked me to spend a couple of days a week reviewing DVDs that were being sent in by agents," recalls Harvey.
"When Gary got here, no-one was in charge full time and he asked me if I would be interested. I was."
The chief scout's role isn't about unearthing the next big thing — it's about making a more immediate impact and he works very closely with the management team in order to do it.
"My job description is simple. It's to try find players who would be good enough to come here, step straight into the first team and improve it."
In practical terms, it means making sure there's more to a player than a nicely edited DVD package. There's only one way to be certain to check him out in the flesh.
"There's an awful lot of travelling involved. I am away virtually every weekend. Last weekend I went to Holland and took in a game on the Saturday and then another on the Sunday. Next weekend it's a similar plan. Hopefully, I'll get a flight back Sunday night but I'm not sure yet, I may have to wait until Monday morning. Each weekend I am in a different country — Germany, Holland, Belgium or France."
Harvey isn't working alone. He now has three other trusted scouts in place and between them they look after France, Spain, Northern Europe and Eastern Europe.
Little is left to chance. A great deal of research is carried out before the chief scout gets to a game, as his job is an integral part of Bolton's long-term planning.
"We have a meeting each week with the management. They identify specific areas of the side that they are trying to improve and we concentrate our efforts on those priorities.
"We build up a target list, but that list is a continual work in progress. We keep updating it with new names and new data all the time.
"If we are looking at a particular individual, we may even go to games together.
"At our meetings we feed back information on certain players to build up a picture for the manager."
Agents, too, play a part.
"Sometimes, I'll watch a player on the recommendation of an agent or from time to time I'll just take in a game with no one particular individual in mind, just to see if anyone stands out."
The recommendations come thick and fast. Says Harvey: "We probably get three or four DVDs a day and in the six weeks or so before the transfer window opens that number goes up. They all need to be evaluated."
Of course, he also comes across a lot of scouts on his travels to Europe's far-flung football hotspots.
"If an agent is recommending a player, he doesn't simply do it for one club he does it for several, so you do bump into a few familiar faces from time to time. When you meet another scout, you exchange pleasantries but there's an unwritten rule that you never ask them who they are looking at and vice versa."
With so much Everton blood flowing through his veins, you may expect Harvey to have divided loyalties tonight but he's the ultimate professional.
"I spent a long time at Everton and yes, I still look out for their result, but that's as far as it goes. I don't have much contact there now. I am employed by Bolton now and the main thing is that they do well."
