Scott Parker playing for West Ham, May 2011 |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Scott Matthew Parker | ||
| Date of birth | 13 October 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Lambeth, London, England | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Tottenham Hotspur | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1997 | Charlton Athletic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–2004 | Charlton Athletic | 128 | (9) |
| 2000 | → Norwich City (loan) | 6 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | Chelsea | 15 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | Newcastle United | 55 | (4) |
| 2007–2011 | West Ham United | 113 | (10) |
| 2011– | Tottenham Hotspur | 15 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1996–1997 | England U16 | 5 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | England U18 | 4 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | England U21 | 11 | (0) |
| 2003– | England | 10 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23:00, 12 November 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Scott Matthew Parker (born 13 October 1980) is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the England national team. He is the FWA Footballer of the Year for the 2010–11 season. He has represented England at every level from under-16 to senior. Uniquely, he won his first four England caps while playing for four different clubs.[2] He is known as a tough tackling central midfielder.[3]
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Parker was born in Lambeth, London,[4] and attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College in New Cross Gate. As a 13 year old, he appeared in a well-known British advert for McDonald's, in which he played keepie uppie, during the 1994 FIFA World Cup campaign.[5] Parker is a graduate of The Football Association's now-defunct national School of Excellence at Lilleshall.[4]
After graduating from Lilleshall, Parker signed for Charlton Athletic as a trainee and made his first team debut as a substitute against Bury[4] in the First Division on 23 August 1997, a game which ended 0–0. He signed his first professional contract with the club two months later.[4] Over the next couple of years he made only a few sporadic substitute appearances for Charlton, although he was one of the brightest prospects in English football. In October 2000 Charlton, then in the Premier League, loaned Parker to First Division side Norwich City[6] for two months to give the England under-21 international some first team experience. At Norwich he scored once against Sheffield Wednesday.[7] On his return to The Valley, Parker was immediately called into the first team to replace injured captain Mark Kinsella. Parker played so well for Charlton that, upon his return from injury, Kinsella could not regain his place in the starting line-up. Parker soon became the linchpin of Charlton's midfield, combining tenacious tackling with an ability to carry the ball quickly from defence to attack and play telling passes, creating many chances for his teammates. He played 145 times for Charlton, scoring 10 goals.[4]
Parker, who had been consistently linked with moves away from Charlton for several years, finally left the Valley on 30 January 2004 to join Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a fee of £10 million[8] after a protracted and acrimonious transfer saga. Alan Curbishley, the Charlton manager, criticised his attitude following news of Chelsea's interest, accusing him of bad behaviour and saying that "...his conduct in training has not been what it should have been."[9] Parker was initially signed as cover for Claude Makélélé and Frank Lampard, but did not get too many chances to play in his preferred position. He scored his only goal for Chelsea against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.[10] At the end of the 2003–04 season Parker was named as the PFA Young Player of the Year.[11]
Following the summer signings of Arjen Robben, and Tiago, Parker's first team opportunities were extremely limited during the 2004–05 season. His problems were compounded when he broke a metatarsal bone in a game against his former club, Norwich City.[12]
Parker was sold the following summer, moving to Newcastle United in July 2005 for a fee of £6.5 million.[13] Parker became a regular in the Newcastle first team and was one of the few players at the club to show any consistency during an often difficult season in which Newcastle finished in seventh place, despite having a very poor start under Graeme Souness. His first Newcastle goal came against his former club Charlton in a 3–1 defeat.[14] In March 2006 he was diagnosed with glandular fever, putting an end to his season.[15] The timing was especially unfortunate for Parker, who had been playing well for Newcastle, as it ended any hopes he may have had of forcing his way into the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
In July 2006, he was named Newcastle United's new captain by manager Glenn Roeder.[16] His first goal as captain came against Wigan Athletic in August 2006.[17] Parker scored his second goal of the season against Fulham in September 2006, but after he was substituted Newcastle conceded 2 goals and subsequently lost the game.[18] Despite Newcastle's poor form, his performances earned him a recall to the England squad in September after an absence of more than two years. In November, Parker scored a goal in the 116th minute against Watford in the League Cup and then scored in the penalty shoot-out to allow Newcastle to progress in the competition.[19] He scored his fourth goal of the 2006–07 season against Tottenham Hotspur in December 2006.[20]
Scott Parker was found to be the second best player in the country for December 2006 by Sky Sports and Opta Index. He led Newcastle on their way to UEFA Intertoto Cup victory and was presented with the Intertoto Cup plaque in March 2007 before the UEFA Cup first leg tie with AZ, which Newcastle won after a thrilling finish.
In June 2007, West Ham United signed Scott Parker for £7 million.[21] Due to injury, he did not make his first team debut until 26 September 2007 in the 1–0 League Cup victory against Plymouth Argyle.[22] His full Premier League debut came on 29 September 2007 in the 1–0 home defeat to Arsenal, a game which saw Parker sustaining another injury and being substituted for Hayden Mullins at half-time.[23] Parker scored his first goal for West Ham, a last-minute winner in the 2–1 win at Middlesbrough on 22 December 2007.[24]
In the 2008–09 season, Parker played a major part of West Ham's season and on 24 May 2009 was voted Hammer of the Year, by the club's supporters.[25] and became the first player since Julian Dicks in 1997 to retain the award after winning again on 4 May 2010.[26]
He was again one of West Ham's key players in the 2009–10 season, scoring the winning goal in a vital 3–2 win against Wigan Athletic, which ensured another season of Premier League football for West Ham.[27]
In July 2010, West Ham Chairman David Sullivan stated that Parker was not for sale to another club at any price. This came after a bid from Tottenham Hotspur[28] and also public interest from Aston Villa.[29] In September 2010 Parker signed a new, five-year, contract with West Ham which also made him the highest paid player in the club's history.[30]
Parker had a strong start to the 2010–11 season and scored three goals in his first six games. His goals came in games against Oxford United,[31] Chelsea,[32] and Stoke City.[33] He is widely regarded[34][35] as one of the most consistent English midfielders over the last few years. There were calls from England supporters and Avram Grant[34][36] for the midfielder to be included in England's squad and feature on a regular basis. On 12 February Carlton Cole praised Scott Parker's "inspirational" pep talk at half time after, being 3–0 down, West Ham clawed back in the second half to get a 3–3 draw against West Bromwich Albion. Carlton Cole was quoted as saying "If you were there you would have had a tear in your eye" after the half time team talk.[37] Parker was named Premier League player of the month for February 2011 following his performances in West Ham's 3–1 wins over Blackpool and Liverpool.[38]
Following his performances for West Ham and his England recall, Parker was placed on the six strong shortlist for the prestigious PFA Player of the Year Award. He missed out on the PFA award but was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.[39]
Parker started the first four games of the 2011-12 season for West Ham United in the Championship and scored his first goal of the season, and tenth league goal for the club against Watford on 16 August 2011.[40]
Amid speculation that Tottenham Hotspur would sign the player, Parker handed West Ham co-owner David Gold a hand written transfer request, saying "I have had a fantastic four years at West Ham United and will never forget all the support I have had from the fans and everyone associated with the club." "The manager and board have tried hard to convince me to stay but at this stage in my career, I need to be playing in the Premier League, especially now that I am involved with England." "I hope the fans will understand and respect my decision and I wish the club every success in their fight for promotion this season."[41]
On 31 August 2011, Tottenham and West Ham both announced the transfer of Parker to Spurs, with the fee believed to be £5.5 million.[42] Tottenham said "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with West Ham United for the permanent transfer of Scott Parker.".[43][44] Later, Redknapp revealed that he was stunned that Tottenham could capture Parker ahead of rival clubs.[45] On 10 September 2011 Parker made his Spurs' debut, providing an assist for fellow debutant Emmanuel Adebayor.[46] He made his home debut the following week in a 4-0 win over Liverpool.[47] Parker finished his first 4 games for Spurs on the winning side. He captained the team in their 2-1 away win at Blackburn on 23 October and, as of the 3-0 home win on 3 December against Bolton, he is unbeaten in his first 11 games for the club, with 10 wins and a draw.
American journalist William Saletan had high praise for Parker's defensive skills after seeing the QPR match in person at White Hart Lane. "Parker doesn't score or get credited with assists. He leaves that to the guys up front," he wrote.
What Parker does instead is win games. He does this not by punctuating the match but by controlling it. He smothers oncoming attacks. He forces opponents off the ball. He orchestrates distribution out of the back, setting in motion a Spurs onslaught that will culminate 60 yards downfield ... [Y]ou can't watch the game up close without noticing Parker.[48]
Parker has represented England at every level from under-15 to the senior team.[4] He has 11 caps for the England under-21 team.[49]
Parker's international debut for the senior England team came on 16 November 2003 when he came on in the 66th minute as a substitute replacing Wayne Rooney in a 3–2 defeat against Denmark.[50]
Parker's form earned him a place in the starting line-up for England's European Championships qualifier away to Croatia. Parker was restricted to tracking back and covering due to the attacking players in the team like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. England boss Steve McClaren specifically told Parker to chase the wingers and assist the two wing backs, Gary Neville and Ashley Cole.
On 11 May 2010, Parker was revealed to be among Capello's 30-man preliminary squad list for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.[51] However, he did not play.
On 9 February 2011, he came on as a second-half substitute for Frank Lampard in a friendly against Denmark to become the first player to receive his first four full caps whilst playing for four different teams.[2]
On 26 March 2011, Parker played in the Millennium Stadium against Wales in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012 and was recognised as one of England's top players in the victory, acting as a holding midfielder in Capello's newly adopted 4–3–3 formation.[52]
On 12 November 2011, Parker was named Man of the match in a friendly against UEFA Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 winners Spain in the 1–0 win.
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other[nb 1] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Charlton Athletic | 1997–98 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1998–99 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 1999–2000 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| 2000–01 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| Norwich City (loan) | 2000–01 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | ||||
| Charlton Athletic | 2001–02 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2002–03 | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 4 | |||
| 2003–04 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 3 | |||
| Total | 128 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 1 | — | — | 145 | 10 | |||
| Chelsea | 2003–04 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |
| 2004–05 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | — | 28 | 1 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2005–06 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| 2006–07 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| Total | 55 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 73 | 6 | |
| West Ham United | 2007–08 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1 | |||
| 2009–10 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 2 | |||
| 2010–11 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 40 | 7 | |||
| 2011–12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Total | 113 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | — | 129 | 12 | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2011–12 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 327 | 25 | 17 | 1 | 27 | 4 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 389 | 30 | |
| England national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 |
| Total | 10 | 0 |
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