Scott Matthew Parker (born 13 October 1980) is an English professional football manager and former player who is head coach of EFL Championship club Burnley.

Scott Matthew Parker[3] was born on 13 October 1980[4] in Lambeth, Greater London, and attended Haberdashers' Aske's Hatcham College in New Cross.

[5] After graduating from Lilleshall, Parker signed for Charlton Athletic as a trainee and made his first-team debut as a substitute against Bury in the First Division on 23 August 1997, a match which ended 0–0.

[citation needed] In October 2000, Charlton, then in the Premier League, loaned Parker to First Division club Norwich City[7] for two months to give the England under-21 international some first-team experience.

[citation needed] Parker soon became the linchpin of Charlton's midfield, combining tenacious tackling with an ability to carry the ball quickly from defence to attack and play telling passes, creating many chances for his teammates.

[citation needed] Parker, who had been consistently linked with moves away from Charlton for several years, finally left the Valley on 30 January 2004 to join Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a £10 million fee.

[9] Alan Curbishley, the Charlton manager, criticised his attitude following news of Chelsea's interest, accusing him of bad behaviour and saying that "...his conduct in training has not been what it should have been.

[16] Due to this injury, Parker missed both legs of the League Cup semi-final against Manchester United and the final against Liverpool, although he took part in the celebrations.

[29] His full Premier League debut came on 29 September 2007 in the 1–0 home defeat to Arsenal, a match which saw Parker sustaining another injury and being substituted for Hayden Mullins at half-time.

[36] In September 2010 Parker signed a new, five-year, contract with West Ham which also made him the highest paid player in the club's history.

"[50][51] With Scott Parker playing for Tottenham Hotspur, it meant that he was the only player to represent clubs in North, East, South and West London in the Premier League.

[58] American journalist William Saletan had high praise for Parker's defensive skills after seeing the QPR match in person at White Hart Lane.

He orchestrates distribution out of the back, setting in motion a Spurs onslaught that will culminate 60 yards downfield ... You can't watch the game up close without noticing Parker.

[60] On 23 November 2013, Parker was made captain for the match against Swansea City in the absence of Brede Hangeland, and scored his first goal for them in the 2–1 loss at Craven Cottage.

[64] Parker's international debut for the senior England team came on 16 November 2003 when he came on in the 66th minute as a substitute replacing Wayne Rooney in a 3–2 defeat against Denmark.

In a 3–5–2 formation Parker was restricted to tracking back and covering due to the attacking players in the team like Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

England boss Steve McClaren specifically told Parker to chase the wingers and assist the two wing backs, Gary Neville and Ashley Cole.

[68] Parker came on as a second-half substitute for Frank Lampard in a friendly against Denmark on 9 February 2011 to become the first player to receive his first four full caps whilst playing for four teams.

[2] On 26 March that year, he played in the Millennium Stadium against Wales in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012 and was recognised as one of England's top players in the victory, acting as a holding midfielder in Capello's newly adopted 4–3–3 formation.

[69] On 12 November 2011, Parker was named man of the match in a friendly against UEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup winners Spain in the 1–0 win.

[72] He started all four of England's matches, helping the team top their group with wins against Sweden and Ukraine and a draw with France before they were knocked out in the quarter finals by Italy.

[73] His final cap came in March 2013, in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against San Marino, coming on as a substitute for Frank Lampard.

[76] Overlooked for major tournaments such as UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, in 2012 Parker was a regular presence in the line-up, being partnered with Steven Gerrard.

[78] In July 2018, Parker left Tottenham to return to Fulham, who had just gained promotion back to the Premier League, serving as first-team coach, linking up with former manager Slaviša Jokanović.

After defeating Cardiff City over two legs in the semi-finals, they beat Brentford in the play-off final to achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

[87] Fulham's return to the Premier League however did not begin smoothly: they lost their first four games and failed to win until November, when they beat relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion 2–0 at Craven Cottage.

[88] Towards the end of the 2020–21 season, Parker reportedly became a surprise contender for the Tottenham Hotspur managerial vacancy, after José Mourinho was dismissed, but he remained at the club.

[92] The same day his departure from Fulham was finalised, Parker was appointed as head coach of AFC Bournemouth, replacing Jonathan Woodgate on a three-year contract.

[99] On 31 December 2022, Parker was appointed manager of Belgian champions Club Brugge, succeeding Carl Hoefkens at a team in fourth place and 12 points off the lead.