.jpg) Parker withAFC Bournemouth in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Scott Matthew Parker | ||
| Date of birth | (1980-10-13)13 October 1980 (age 45) | ||
| Place of birth | Lambeth, Greater London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Burnley (head coach) | ||
| 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) |
| 2011–2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | 50 | (0) |
| 2013–2017 | Fulham | 119 | (6) |
| Total | 486 | (31) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–1997 | England U16 | 7 | (2) |
| 1999 | England U18 | 3 | (1) |
| 1998 | England U19 | 1 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | England U21 | 11 | (0) |
| 2003–2013 | England | 18 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2019–2021 | Fulham | ||
| 2021–2022 | AFC Bournemouth | ||
| 2022–2023 | Club Brugge | ||
| 2024– | Burnley | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Scott Matthew Parker (born 13 October 1980) is an English professionalfootball manager and former player who currently managesPremier League clubBurnley.
Parker began his career atCharlton Athletic, and was loaned toNorwich City, before joiningChelsea for a £10 million fee in January 2004. He did not play regularly at Chelsea, and moved toNewcastle United the following year, where he was made captain. Parker joinedWest Ham United in 2007, and was theFWA Footballer of the Year for the 2010–11 season despite the club being relegated. He was then signed byTottenham Hotspur and joinedFulham in 2013. He would play 119 league matches for Fulham in both the Premier League and theChampionship, before retiring at the end of the2016–17 season.
Parker has represented England at every level fromunder-16 to senior, making his full debut in 2003. Uniquely, he won his first four England caps while playing for four different clubs.[2] Parker was a member of the England team which reached the quarter-finals atUEFA Euro 2012.
Parker was appointedcaretaker manager of Fulham in February 2019, and hired on a permanent basis that summer. In his first season in charge, he guided them to promotion to the Premier League after winning theChampionship play-offs, but they were relegated back the following season. He then left to joinAFC Bournemouth in 2021, and again won promotion from the Championship in his first season. After a9–0 loss toLiverpool in the club's fourth league game of the season, he was dismissed, and then hired byClub Brugge, from which he was sacked after 12 games in March 2023. In July 2024 he was appointed as head coach of Burnley, and won a third promotion from the Championship in his first season.
Scott Matthew Parker[3] was born on 13 October 1980[4] inLambeth, Greater London, and attendedHaberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College inNew Cross.[5] As a 13-year-old, he appeared in a well-known English advert forMcDonald's, in which he playedkeepie uppie, during the1994 FIFA World Cup campaign.[6] Parker is a graduate ofThe Football Association's now-defunct national School of Excellence atLilleshall.[5]
After graduating from Lilleshall, Parker signed forCharlton Athletic as a trainee and made his first-team debut as asubstitute againstBury in theFirst Division on 23 August 1997, a match which ended 0–0.[5] He signed his first professional contract with the club two months later.[5] 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.[citation needed] In October 2000, Charlton, then in thePremier League, loaned Parker to First Division clubNorwich City[7] for two months to give the England under-21 international some first-team experience. At Norwich he scored once againstSheffield Wednesday.[8] On his return toThe Valley, Parker was immediately called into the first team to replace injured captainMark Kinsella.[9] Parker played so well for Charlton that, upon his return from injury, Kinsella could not regain his place in the starting line-up.[10] 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.[11]
Parker, who had been consistently linked with moves away from Charlton for several years, finally left The Valley on 30 January 2004 to joinChelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a £10 million fee.[12]Alan Curbishley, the Charltonmanager, 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."[13] Parker was initially signed as cover forClaude Makélélé andFrank Lampard, but did not get too many chances to play in his preferred position.[14] He scored his only goal for Chelsea in a 2–0 win againstPortsmouth atFratton Park on 11 February.[15] At the end of the2003–04 season, Parker was named as thePFA Young Player of the Year.[16]
Following the summer signings ofArjen Robben andTiago Mendes, Parker's first-team opportunities were limited during2004–05.[citation needed] Although he found first-team opportunities hard to come by at Chelsea, he was a regular starter in Chelsea's League Cup matches, a competition where he played in three consecutive victories against West Ham,[17] Newcastle[18] and Fulham.[19] His problems were compounded when he broke a metatarsal bone in a match against his former club, Norwich City.[20] Due to this injury, Parker missed both legs of the League Cup semi-final against Manchester United and thefinal against Liverpool, although he took part in the celebrations.[citation needed]
Parker was sold the following summer, moving to Newcastle United in July 2005 for a £6.5 million fee.[21] He 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 underGraeme Souness.[citation needed] His first Newcastle goal came against his former club Charlton in a 3–1 defeat on 25 March 2006.[22] Later that month he was diagnosed with glandular fever, putting an end to his season.[23] 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 the2006 FIFA World Cup.[24]
In July 2006, he was named Newcastle United's new captain by managerGlenn Roeder, succeeding the retiredAlan Shearer.[25] His first goal as captain came againstWigan Athletic on 19 August 2006, in a 2–1 win on the first day of the season.[26] Parker scored his second goal of the season againstFulham in September 2006, but after he was substituted Newcastle conceded 2 goals and subsequently lost the match.[27] Despite Newcastle's poor form, his performances earned him a recall to theEngland squad in September after an absence of more than two years.[citation needed] In November, Parker scored a goal in the 116th minute againstWatford in theLeague Cup and then scored in the penalty shoot-out to allow Newcastle to progress in the competition.[28] He scored his fourth goal of2006–07 againstTottenham Hotspur in December 2006.[29]
Scott Parker was found to be the second best player in the country for December 2006 bySky Sports and Opta Index.[citation needed][30] He led Newcastle on their way toUEFA Intertoto Cup victory and was presented with the Intertoto Cup plaque in March 2007 before theUEFA Cup first-leg tie withAZ.[31]
In June 2007,West Ham United signed Scott Parker for a £7 million fee.[32] Due to injury, he did not make his first-team debut until 26 September 2007 in the 1–0 League Cup victory againstPlymouth Argyle.[33] His full Premier League debut came on 29 September 2007 in the 1–0 home defeat toArsenal, a match which saw Parker sustaining another injury and being substituted forHayden Mullins at half-time.[34] Parker scored his first goal for West Ham, a last-minute winner in the 2–1 win atMiddlesbrough on 22 December 2007.[35]
In 2008–09, Parker played a major part of West Ham's season and on 24 May 2009 was votedHammer of the Year, by the club's supporters.[36] and became the first player sinceJulian Dicks in 1997 to retain the award after winning again on 4 May 2010.[37]
He was again one of West Ham's key players in 2009–10, scoring the winning goal in a vital 3–2 win against Wigan Athletic, which ensured another season of Premier League football for West Ham.[38]
In July 2010, West Ham chairmanDavid Sullivan stated that Parker was not for sale to another club at any price. This came after a bid from Tottenham Hotspur[39] and also public interest fromAston Villa.[40] 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.[41]
Parker scored three goals in his first six appearances in 2010–11. His goals came in matches againstOxford United,[42] Chelsea,[43] andStoke City.[44] He was widely regarded[45][46] as one of the most consistent English midfielders over the previous few years. There were calls from England supporters and Avram Grant[45][47] for the midfielder to be included in England's squad and feature on a regular basis.
On 12 FebruaryCarlton Cole praised Scott Parker's "inspirational" pep talk at half time after, being 3–0 down, West Ham earned a 3–3 draw againstWest Bromwich Albion. Cole was quoted as saying of the talk "If you were there you would have had a tear in your eye".[48] Parker was namedPremier League Player of the Month for February 2011 following his performances in West Ham's 3–1 wins overBlackpool andLiverpool.[49] Following his performances for West Ham despite their relegation, and his England recall, Parker was placed on the six-strong shortlist for the prestigiousPFA Players' Player of the Year Award. He missed out on the PFA award but was named theFWA Footballer of the Year.[50]
Parker started the first four matches of 2011–12 for West Ham United in theChampionship and scored his first goal of the season, and tenth league goal for the club against Watford on 16 August 2011.[51]
Amid speculation that Tottenham Hotspur would sign the player, Parker handed West Ham co-ownerDavid 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."[52]
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.[53] Tottenham said "We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with West Ham United for the permanent transfer of Scott Parker."[54][55] With Scott Parker playing for Tottenham Hotspur, it meant that he was the only player to represent clubs in North, East, South and West London in the Premier League.[56] On 10 September 2011 Parker made his Spurs' debut, providing an assist for fellow debutantEmmanuel Adebayor.[57] He made his home debut the following week in a 4–0 win over Liverpool.[58] Parker finished his first four matches for Tottenham on the winning team.[59] He captained them in a 2–1 away win over Blackburn on 23 October.[60] Parker finished his first season at Tottenham being named as their Player of the Year for the 2011–12 season.[61] Parker was injured on international duty before the start of 2012–13 and did not make his first appearance of the season until 16 December as a 90th-minute substitute.[62]
American journalistWilliam Saletan had high praise for Parker's defensive skills after seeing the QPR match in person atWhite 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 ... You can't watch the game up close without noticing Parker.[63]
On 19 August 2013, Parker signed a three-year contract with Fulham, for an undisclosed fee.[64] On 23 November 2013, Parker was made captain for the match againstSwansea City in the absence ofBrede Hangeland, and scored his first goal for them in the 2–1 loss atCraven Cottage.[65] Fulham were relegated at the end of the season.[66] Parker retired from playing in June 2017.[67]
Parker represented England at every level from under-16 to the senior team.[5] He earned nine caps for the England under-21 team.[68]
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 replacingWayne Rooney in a 3–2 defeat againstDenmark.[69]
His form earned him a place in the starting line-up for England's European Championships qualifier away toCroatia on 11 October 2006. In a 3–5–2 formation Parker was restricted to tracking back and covering due to the attacking players in the team like Frank Lampard andSteven Gerrard. England bossSteve McClaren specifically told Parker to chase the wingers and assist the two wing backs,Gary Neville andAshley Cole. England lost 2–0 and Parker would not feature again for England for four and a half years.[70]
On 11 May 2010, Parker was revealed to be among managerFabio Capello's 30-man preliminary squad list for the2010 FIFA World Cup.[71] However, he was not included in the final 23-man squad.[72]
Parker came on as a second-half substitute for Frank Lampard in a friendly against Denmark on 9 February 2011 to become the first player to receive his first four full caps whilst playing for four teams.[2] On 26 March that year, he played in theMillennium Stadium againstWales in thequalifiers forUEFA 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.[73]
On 12 November 2011, Parker was named man of the match in a friendly againstUEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup winnersSpain in the 1–0 win.[74] Parker captained England on 29 February 2012 in their 2–3 defeat by theNetherlands atWembley.[75]
FollowingRoy Hodgson's appointment as England manager, Parker was selected as part of England's UEFA Euro 2012 preliminary squad and was kept in for the final 23-man squad.[76] He started all four of England's matches, helping the team top their group with wins against Sweden and Ukraine and a draw with France before they were knocked out in the quarter finals by Italy.[77]
His final cap came in March 2013, in a2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against San Marino, coming on as a substitute forFrank Lampard.[78]
.jpg)
Parker was known as a tough tackling central midfielder.[79]
On the international stage, Parker had been among the notable England players to have been criticised and panned for their hard-working but less technical style of play.[80] Overlooked for major tournaments such asUEFA Euro 2004 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in 2012 Parker was a regular presence in the line-up, being partnered with Steven Gerrard. Although England had a relatively disappointing Euro 2012 campaign, some viewed the partnership of Parker and Gerrard as one of the positives.[81]
Shortly after his retirement from playing, Parker returned toTottenham Hotspur, coaching theirunder-18 squad, as well as being announced as a club ambassador.[82] In July 2018, Parker left Tottenham to return toFulham, who had just gained promotion back to thePremier League, serving as first-team coach, linking up with former managerSlaviša Jokanović.[83] He was retained in his coaching position afterClaudio Ranieri was brought in to replace a dismissed Jokanović that November.[84]
Ranieri was dismissed on 28 February 2019, having overseen no improvement to the team's results, leaving the club in a relegation battle.[85] Parker was then appointed ascaretaker manager that same day, the club now sat nineteenth in the Premier League table.[86] He took charge of the team for the first time three days later, where they lost 2–1 to visitorsChelsea.[87] Fulham were relegated to theChampionship after a disappointing returning league campaign, their relegation confirmed after a 4–1 thrashing byWatford, with five games remaining.[88]
After speculation arose over who would replace Ranieri on a permanent basis following relegation, chairmanShahid Khan appointed Parker as manager permanently on a two-year contract.[89] Parker was able to retain the majority of his players, despite relegation, with star strikerAleksandar Mitrović signing a new contract during the summer.[90] During his first season in charge, theCOVID-19 pandemic resulted in all English sport being suspended from March until June 2020; Fulham ultimately finished the season in fourth place, missing out on automatic promotion by two points, thus qualifying to thepromotion play-offs. After defeatingCardiff City over two legs in thesemi-finals, they beatBrentford in theplay-off final to achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.[91]
Fulham's return to the Premier League however did not begin smoothly: they lost their first four games and failed to win until November, when they beat relegation rivalsWest Bromwich Albion 2–0 atCraven Cottage.[92] Towards the end of the2020–21 season, Parker reportedly became a surprise contender for the Tottenham Hotspur managerial vacancy, afterJosé Mourinho was dismissed, but he remained at the club.[93] Parker's side were relegated to the Championship once again in May 2021 after suffering defeat toBurnley, who were above them in the Premier League table.[94] Following relegation, Parker said that Fulham must try to break the cycle of relegation and promotion and establish themselves in the top flight.[95] On 28 June, the club announced that Parker had left by mutual consent.[96]
The same day his departure from Fulham was finalised, Parker was appointed as head coach ofAFC Bournemouth, replacingJonathan Woodgate on a three-year contract.[97] After guiding the club to 13 points from a possible 15, Parker was awarded the league'sManager of the Month award for September 2021.[98] Parker won the award again in October after leading Bournemouth to five wins in five matches, conceding just one goal in the process.[99] Parker guided Bournemouth to promotion back to the Premier League after two years away in his first season as manager. The side finished as runners-up to Fulham sealing second place on 3 May, with one game remaining in the season, with a 1–0 win against fourth-placedNottingham Forest.[100]
Bournemouth won their first game back in the top flight, defeatingAston Villa 2–0 at home on 6 August. After that win, the team lost its next three games by an aggregate score of 16–0, losing 4–0 toManchester City, 3–0 toArsenal, before a9–0 loss away at Liverpool on 27 August, a joint-record for the largest score margin in Premier League history.[101] Following the Liverpool match, Parker expressed his frustrations with the club's transfer policy, stating they were currently "unequipped" for the Premier League.[102] Three days after the Liverpool match, Bournemouth announced they had parted company with Parker.Gary O'Neil succeeded Parker.[103]
On 31 December 2022, Parker was appointed manager of Belgian championsClub Brugge, succeedingCarl Hoefkens at a team in fourth place and 12 points off the lead.[104][105] His first game on 8 January was a 3–1 loss at leadersGenk in thePro League.[106] Parker inherited a team that had reached thelast 16 of theUEFA Champions League, where his team lost 7–1 on aggregate toBenfica. On 8 March, the day after the 5–1 second leg defeat at theEstádio da Luz, and having won twice in 12 overall games to fall to 21 points off the lead, he was dismissed,Ronny Deila was his successor.[107]
On 5 July 2024,Burnley confirmed the appointment of Parker as head coach on a three-year contract. He replacedVincent Kompany, who had left forBayern Munich.[108] On 21 April 2025, Parker guided Burnley toPremier League football following a 2–1 win atTurf Moor toSheffield United.[109] In a post-match interview Parker credited the player group, club and fans, and advised overall life perspective.[110] He was named Championship Manager of the Month for April 2025 following sixteen points from six matches.[111]
Parker met Carly Arter when he was 16,[112] and they married when he was 20.[113] The couple have four sons.[114]
Parker is the brother-in-law of footballerHarry Arter, whom he managed at Fulham.[115][112]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Charlton Athletic | 1997–98[116] | First Division | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1998–99[117] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1999–2000[118] | First Division | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2000–01[119] | Premier League | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2001–02[120] | Premier League | 38 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2002–03[121] | Premier League | 28 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04[122] | Premier League | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 22 | 3 | ||
| Total | 128 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 10 | ||
| Norwich City (loan) | 2000–01[119] | First Division | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | |||
| Chelsea | 2003–04[122] | Premier League | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 5[a] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2004–05[123] | Premier League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2005–06[124] | Premier League | 26 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 32 | 2 |
| 2006–07[125] | Premier League | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10[c] | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| Total | 55 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 73 | 6 | ||
| West Ham United | 2007–08[126] | Premier League | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 20 | 1 | |
| 2008–09[127] | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10[128] | Premier League | 31 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2010–11[129] | Premier League | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 40 | 7 | ||
| 2011–12[130] | Championship | 4 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| Total | 113 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 2 | — | 129 | 12 | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2011–12[130] | Premier League | 29 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| 2012–13[131] | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[d] | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| Total | 50 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 63 | 0 | ||
| Fulham | 2013–14[132] | Premier League | 29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 2 | |
| 2014–15[133] | Championship | 37 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 41 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16[134] | Championship | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17[135] | Championship | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| Total | 119 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 128 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 486 | 31 | 28 | 1 | 32 | 4 | 26 | 0 | 572 | 36 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2003 | 1 | 0 |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 18 | 0 | |
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Fulham | 28 February 2019 | 28 June 2021 | 105 | 37 | 25 | 43 | 035.24 | [137] |
| AFC Bournemouth | 28 June 2021 | 30 August 2022 | 55 | 28 | 14 | 13 | 050.91 | [137] |
| Club Brugge | 31 December 2022 | 8 March 2023 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 016.67 | [137] |
| Burnley | 5 July 2024 | Present | 64 | 34 | 17 | 13 | 053.13 | [137] |
| Total | 236 | 101 | 62 | 73 | 042.80 | |||
Charlton Athletic
Newcastle United
Individual
Fulham
AFC Bournemouth
Burnley
Individual
