Short And Sweet - Scott Parker

A quick look at players who had short stays at Carrow Road, before or after a more illustrious career elsewhere..................

Loan arrangements come in all shapes and sizes. In the case of Scott Parker, his six games for Norwich City in November 2000 suited both his parent club, Charlton Athletic, and the Canaries. It was early in his career and he needed game time - the season had seen him make just four appearances for the Addicks before he came to Carrow Road, two in the Premier League and two in the League Cup. For City manager Bryan Hamilton it provided the opportunity to add some energy and craft to his struggling team - they had been bottom of Division One in early September after failing top win any of their first five games. It was never going to be a permanent arrangement as some fans hoped as even at a young age, Parker was clearly destined for greater things.

He made his Norwich début on the 4th of November 2000 in a 1-0 home win against Tranmere Rovers, slotting into a midfield that also included Lee Marshall, Phil Mulryne and Chris Llewellyn. Another win followed over Birmingham City three days later at Carrow Road before he scored his only goal for the club in the 3-2 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. Parker played in all the remaining fixtures that month, but unfortunately all three were lost. A second month's loan was already agreed, but to the frustration of the Canaries supporters, he was recalled to Charlton, who had injury problems to resolve. It brought to a close a brief relationship with Norwich that promised to lift an otherwise under performing campaign. He took his undoubted skills back to The Valley, cemented a place in their midfield, and launched a good career at the top end of the English game that continues to flourish to this day.

Scott Parker was a product of the FA School of Excellence at Lilleshall and played his youth team football with Charlton. At thirteen he appeared in a McDonalds TV advert during the 1994 World Cup finals, when he was seen playing keepie uppie. His first team debut for the Addicks came in August 1997, though in those early days he was largely limited to substitute appearances. But after his loan spell in Norfolk, he got better and better for the London club, playing in 145 games in total through to 2004, and breaking into the England set up for the first time with a debut in 2003.

His combative box to box style earned him a £10 million move to Chelsea in early 2004 after much speculation about his future, something that led to a deterioration in his relationship with manager Alan Curbishley. But as it turned out, his time at Stamford Bridge saw him restricted to being an understudy to more established names. Then, on the 18th of December 2004, he broke a metatarsal bone in his foot, playing against, ironically, Norwich City. He didn't appear again all season and in July 2005, Graeme Souness paid £6.5 million to take him to Newcastle United, where he continued to develop his reputation as a busy midfielder, although a bout of glandular fever ended his season early in the March. The following summer, new manager Glenn Roeder made him captain of the Magpies.

In June 2007 he moved back to London with a switch to West Ham United. He remained there until 2011, three times being voted Hammer of the Year, and Player of the Year by the Football Writers' Association in 2011, despite the fact the club were relegated down to the Championship. Not for the first time, much intrigue followed as to Scott Parker's future, and in August 2011 he signed for Tottenham Hotspur.  In February 2012 he captained England for the first time in a friendly against Holland, and is widely expected to bring his battling qualities to the forthcoming UEFA European Football Championship in Poland and the Ukraine.
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