Paul Parker - Tackles Like A Ferret

This edition first published by Pitch Publishing 2013

Pitch Publishing
A2 Yeoman Gate
Yeoman Way
Durrington
BN13 3QZ
www.pitchpublishing.co.uk

Paul Parker, Pat Symes, Jim Baldwin 2013

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.

eISBN: 978-1-909178-92-2

(Print ISBN 978-1-90917-843-4)

eBook Conversion by www.ebookpartnership.com

P AUL PARKER won 19 England caps and played a crucial part in one of the most famous matches in World Cup history when England lost to Germany on penalties in the semi-final of Italia 90.

Parker was also a key figure in the all-conquering Manchester United sides of the 1990s as Sir Alex Ferguson built his Old Trafford dynasty. Sir Alex acknowledges Parkers contribution to one of the best club sides of the decade.

Parker is still a legendary figure at Queens Park Rangers where he helped take the club to the threshold of the league title and at Fulham where he began his distinguished career.

Chelsea, Derby and Sheffield United were his other league clubs.

Now a commentator on the Premiership from his base in Singapore, Parker has strong opinions on the game and provides a fascinating insight into matches and personalities, past and present.

P AUL PARKER is without doubt one of the best signings I have made as Manchester United manager, and was an integral part of the defence I consider to be the best I have ever worked with. The Aberdeen back line that helped me win the European Cup Winners Cup takes some beating but the quartet of Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Denis Irwin is better even than that great defence.

I look upon Pauls time with us in two ways. I remember what a superb servant he was for our club but there is also a fair element of sadness about his short but great career. He was a really fit, athletic player but he was blighted by one or two injuries that ultimately forced him to retire prematurely.

We first looked at Paul when he was at Fulham as a young centre-half and we had a very keen interest but Queens Park Rangers came in on the blindside and signed him. During his time at Loftus Road, where he formed a successful partnership with Alan McDonald, Paul got a cruciate knee injury in November 1990 that slowed up our decision to go back in for him.

He battled back from that injury and did really well and it was in the summer of 1991, a year after he had helped England to a World Cup semi-final, that we found out he was available. We were in Sweden on a pre-season tour and I heard on the grapevine that Everton had made a bid of 1.5m. I turned to my chairman Martin Edwards and said this is a player who could replace Steve Bruce, who was beginning to suffer from the wear and tear of playing week-in, week-out and had picked up a few injuries of his own.

I spoke to Paul on the telephone and he confirmed that several clubs including Tottenham Hotspur had started negotiations, so I invited him to Old Trafford to discuss a move. I did what I always do when I am trying to persuade a player to join us and took him to see the stadium in all its glory. That was his mind made up.

As fate would have it, Steve went on to play for us for another five years so we converted Paul into one of the best right-backs in the clubs history. I have since seen Sir Bobby Robson describe this diminutive but determined defender as a player who leaps like a salmon and tackles like a ferret. As always, Bobby is spot on with his description. Paul is a tenacious little player and was the most natural defender we had on our books, which says a lot when you look at the players he lined up alongside.

For a guy who never grew beyond 5ft 7ins he was also tremendous in the air, aided by that fantastic spring that has prompted Robsons unusual comparison. I remember one famous Champions League night against Barcelona in 1994 when I asked Paul to man-mark the great Brazilian striker Romario. Paul did a superb job until midway through the first half when he followed Romario into the middle of the penalty area and Gary Pallister shouted across that he would take care of him. Pally just did not have the pace to keep up with him and Romario slotted the ball past Peter Schmeichel and into the net.

Pauls pace was undoubtedly his biggest strength and on another occasion we were playing our great rivals Liverpool at Anfield in 1993 and leading 2-1 when he was up against Mark Walters on the left wing. One of the Liverpool coaches shouted at Walters to run at Parks. I turned to him and said glad to see you have done your homework. I could not believe it and was so stunned that I turned to my then number two Brian Kidd and asked him if I was hearing things. Walters tried to follow his instructions but every time he attempted to beat him on the outside, Paul just stuck out a leg and whipped the ball away.

He was a tremendous competitor and I would have backed him to overcome anyone in a one-on-one situation. He could also fight his corner when he needed to and, if ever subjected to one of Schmeichels legendary verbal volleys, he was always quick to tell the Great Dane to shut up and get back in his goal.

Paul was of course one of the heroes of the team that ended our 26-year wait for a title in the Premierships inaugural season, 1992/93, only his second full season at the club. He was also a mainstay of our first league and FA Cup Double-winning side a year later and played superbly in the Cup Final against Chelsea at Wembley.

There are many other great memories from his time with us. No doubt Paul will pick out his well-taken goal against his boyhood heroes Tottenham at Old Trafford in a 4-1 victory in December 1993. Paul played a terrific one-two with Brian McClair and smashed the ball past the Spurs goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt with all he was worth. His only other senior goal for us was in an FA Cup fourth round win at Reading when he crossed the ball into the top-right corner. Readings pitch at their old Elm Park home was notoriously bobbly and I think Paul was attempting a clearance when he somehow picked out the back of the net from what seemed like miles out. In the same game Steve Bruce missed an open goal from two yards out and Parks spent the whole journey home taunting him about this.

Off the pitch Paul was adored by everyone who met him and was very popular in the dressing room. He was also the subject of one of the funniest wind-ups I have ever witnessed. Paul has always been addicted to mobile phones, and to this day still has one glued to each ear 24 hours a day. We had just beaten Wimbledon down at Selhurst Park and Choccy McClair, the dressing room joker of the time, made sure he beat Paul on to the coach after the game. Choccy was a bit of a whiz-kid when it came to technology and went rifling through Pauls boot bag, found his mobile and managed to change the security code before putting it back in the overhead locker.

When Parks stepped on the bus to begin his mountain of phone calls he was shocked to discover he could not access the handset. He spent the entire four-hour journey back to Manchester slumped in a heap at the back of the coach, sulking because he could not make any calls, until when we got to within six or seven miles of the drop-off point and Brian asked if he could borrow the phone. Paul handed it over but explained he could not get it to switch on. He stared on in disbelief when Choccy not only managed to crack the code but made a call to his wife, saying he would be home in ten minutes. Paul was furious and told Brian he would never speak to him again. It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. The two soon kissed and made up but I dont know if Paul ever got his own back. I doubt it.