My first England cap arrived in a jiffy bag in the post
BOURNEMOUTH BOSS SCOTT PARKER
SCOTT PARKER replaced Wayne Rooney when he came off the bench to make his England debut, more or less 18 years ago to the day, at Old Trafford.
At 18, Rooney had already been identified by French football royalty Arsene Wenger as the richest young English talent he had ever seen. And more than a year had elapsed since Merseyside’s boy wonder had announced himself with a thunderous winner, still aged 16, for Everton against Wenger’s Arsenal, the defending champions. Tomorrow Parker and Rooney (in their England days, left) will exchange handshakes on the touchline again – this time as managers at opposite ends of the Championship, with Derby absorbing another points deduction in the foothills and Bournemouth planting their standard at the summit. “Wayne will have to forgive me if I don’t remember who I was replacing when I came on for my England debut,” said Parker. “No offence, but I was too focused on trying to make an impact on my first international appearance. It’s a moment you dream about as a kid, growing up on the estate and kicking a ball against the garage doors, trying to emulate your heroes – in my case, usually Paul Gascoigne.
“But I remember the magic of how it felt when the dream came true and I was on the pitch, representing my country for the first time.
“It’s a massive moment in any player’s career and it always makes me proud that I fought hard to prove my worth and win 17 more caps over the next 10 years.
“I was lucky enough to play with some fantastic players, and the pride never leaves you.”
Rooney had opened the scoring and laid on England’s second goal for Joe Cole in the first eight minutes, but Denmark recovered to win 3-2 and spray graffiti over Parker’s Three Lions debut in 2003.
The memory of it all came back earlier this week when Aaron Ramsdale and Emile Smith Rowe were presented with their commemorative first caps, embroidered and tasselled, at England’s slaughter of San Marino.
“Receiving my first cap was not quite as glamorous as that – it was delivered in a jiffy bag through the post,” laughed the Cherries head coach. “It would have been nice to be part of something as ceremonial as those boys in San Marino, but the actual feeling of an England cap in your hand is still a lovely tradition which will live with me forever.”
Parker, who guided Fulham into the Premier League just 15 months ago, is working his magic again on the Dorset riviera. The Cherries were the last unbeaten team in all four divisions last season and it was the same story this term until Preston’s surprise win at the Vitality 17 days ago.
Parker, 41, has been a wise owl in the market, with 35-year-old former England defender Gary Cahill’s capture on a free transfer looking a masterstroke. You don’t get many Champions League winners on the payroll at Dean Court.
“It’s not as simple as transferring a template from one club to another,” said Parker. “But we definitely seemed to hit the ground running and the players have been superb.
“There is always a little element of concern, after the disappointment of missing out in the play-offs, that the hangover will spill over into the following season.
“But I’ve seen no sign of that at all, and there is a clear focus on the here-and-now, no hang-ups about what happened last year.
“There’s still a long way to go, and a lot of hard work lies ahead but we have given ourselves an excellent platform to make one big push.”
Poor Rooney must envy his old England team-mate’s supercharged start at Bournemouth.
Parker (above) added: “Wayne will be the first to admit there’s no room for charity in professional football, and there definitely won’t be any from us on Sunday.
“I’ve been in his position as a manager, I realise the challenges he faces (after Derby’s latest points deduction), and I wish him well. But this is strictly business.”