The most underrated player in Premier League history.

We’re talking about a man who was highly rated as well, but in my opinion, never highly enough.

Was. On Wednesday, a personal hero of mine, and one of English football, Scott Parker, quietly retired from the field. Underrated and understated, Parker had a no-nonsense, throwback style that few could quash. He never fucked about; he played the game, and he played it brilliantly, the reason he’s considered a legend, and remembered fondly by the likes of Charlton, West Ham, Spurs and Fulham, among others, whether he played for them or not.

William Saletan no doubt said it best when he said that Parker may not get credited with many goals or assists, but ‘ 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 an… onslaught that will culminate 60 yards downfield … You can’t watch the game up close without noticing Parker.’

In a game flooded with prima donnas and blatant cheating, the game has been blessed with Scott Parker, and we’d be lucky to see more like him grace the game in the future. Scott Parker is one of the reasons we call it the beautiful game.

In a senior career spanning 20 years, (24 if you count the McDonald's advert he was in for the ’94 World Cup), Parker made over 500 appearances, captained his country and was voted the FWA Player Of The Year. That’s not to mention his PFA Young Player of The Year Award, his two Premier League Player of the Month awards, his Charlton Player of the Year award, and his three Hammer of the Year awards just to name a few.

The rumour mill says that he has been offered a coaching role by Spurs, and that would be a hell of pick-up for any club, he might be a dream to watch, but having him run at you is the stuff of nightmares.

Whatever he does, it would take a lot to tarnish the career he has had, and while all of this seems like mindless gushing over a personal hero; it is.

So here’s to Scott Parker, the quiet maestro, the hard-nosed Hammer, the beautiful player of the beautiful game.

Keep it streets ahead,

CLR