Scott Parker has been at the centre of a tug-and-war between the bottom half of the Premier League for what seems like an eternity, but following West Ham's relegation in 2011, Tony Pulis opportunistically swooped like a vulture in a bid to prize him from West Ham's cold, lifeless clutches. Locked in negotiations with the Championship-bound club for most of the summer, Pulis tried to push the deal through as he sought to boost his midfield ahead of the coming season.
''We did have a go for Parker. It was something we were trying to do for a few weeks. But we realised that if he could, he wanted to stay in London. That was a big part of it with him. I felt there were certain areas of the team we can improve and have to improve and that was one of them. I enquired about him and kept in touch with Sam Allardyce to find out what the situation was. But Sam said Parker would prefer to stay in London because he'd got three boys in school there.'' - Tony Pulis, September 2011.
In the end, Parker signed with Spurs, where he enjoyed a very successful spell, including being named Player of the Year in his debut season at the club. For Parker, he undoubtedly made the right choice, as he held out for European football, as opposed to settling for mid-table mediocrity, but for Pulis, he will feel that he certainly missed a trick in failing to snap up the all-action England international.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
