Parker where he belongs at West Ham

Scott Parker’s inclusion in a recent artist’s impression of the Boleyn Bar at the Olympic Stadium was great to see. The Fulham midfielder’s image sits proudly in the company of Bobby Moore, Trevor Brooking and Geoff Hurst - and it’s where he belongs.

I’ve never been more ashamed of some supporters than when there were boos for the former England international on his first return to Upton Park with Tottenham back in February 2013.

I’m sure it was a minority, but it was a vocal section and Parker himself admitted that it was ‘upsetting’ after he looked forward to what should have been a hero’s reception.

Parker had to remain in the Premier League to secure his place in the England squad. Had it not been for him, we would have dropped to the Championship years earlier.

He and Trevor Brooking are the only two players in our history to have managed to win ‘Hammer of the Year’ an incredible three consecutive seasons in a row. Even fan favourites Bobby Moore and Julian Dicks couldn’t manage that.

Spurs may be fierce rivals but he’s not the only legend to have transferred there. Martin Peters made the move and is remembered as one of our favourite sons whilst the likes of Michael Carrick and Paul Allen are received fondly. Many reports have it that even Bobby Moore angled for a switch to Spurs at one point, as painful as it is to say.

If you had forgotten how inspiring Parker was in his final season at Upton Park, he was placed on the shortlist for PFA Player of the Year and actually won the Football Writer’s Association Footballer of the Year whilst playing for us in the season we were relegated. That’s unprecedented recognition for a man outside the top four, let alone in the bottom three.

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5 of the best England vs. Wales meetings

November 16th 1966: England 5 – 1 Wales

Jack and Bobby Charlton became the last siblings to score for England in a single game as the World Champions thrashed their neighbours in an emphatic 5-1 victory. World Cup final, hat trick hero Geoff Hurst had put England 2-0 up before Wales pulled one back, however the Charlton brothers struck either side of an own goal to complete the convincing victory.

May 31st 1977: England 0 – 1 Wales

This famous Welsh victory marks their first, and so far, only win at Wembley Stadium. England’s most-capped player, Peter Shilton brought Leighton James down in the box and gave him the opportunity to covert the resultant penalty to the delight of the travelling fans. The result was quite a shock for an England side sporting the likes of Phil Neal, Emlyn Hughes and Kevin Keegan. Fabio Capello will be glad Wales didn’t double that win tally at Wembley last Tuesday.

May 17th 1980: Wales 4 – 1 England

The ironically named Mike England got off to a flyer in his eight-year spell as the Welsh national manager as his side stunned Ron Greenwood’s England team, who had taken the lead early on, by cruising to a 4-1 triumph. Leighton James yet again returned to haunt England with one of the goals whilst it was a day to forget for Liverpool legend Phil Thompson as his comical own-goal completed the embarrassing defeat in the friendly at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.

May 2nd 1984: Wales 1 – 0 England

England’s next visit to the Racecourse Ground was just as fruitless as the previous as an impressive Welsh side boasting the likes of Joey Jones, Neville Southall and Ian Rush battled their way to a 1-0 success with debutant Mark Hughes netting the only goal of the tie in the 17th minute. Wales held on for the rest of the game, against a relatively inexperienced England team led by Bobby Robson, to win the match which proved to be the final Wales and England meeting in a Home Nations Championship.

October 9th 2004: England 2 – 0 Wales

An attacking Sven Goran-Eriksson England team, featuring a front three of Jermain Defoe, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney comfortably overcame a worryingly weak Wales side, this time managed by Mark Hughes. Rio Ferdinand was recalled following his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test and Frank Lampard gave England the lead inside the first five minutes at the Millenium Stadium, but in typically spectacular style it was David Beckham who stole the headlines. In the second half his stunning, trademark curling strike from outside the area flew past goalkeeper Paul Jones to secure the victory. Beckham’s reckless booking was also later revealed to have been a deliberate stunt to earn him a suspension in a game he would’ve missed through injury anyway, sparking outrage amongst some of football’s leading bodies.