Burnley head coach Scott Parker has been linked with a sensational return to Tottenham Hotspur, should the Premier League side decide to part company with Ange Postecoglou at the end of the season.
Spurs have endured one of their worst campaigns of the Premier League era and currently sit 16th. They do have a glorious opportunity to end the season with silverware though, with Norwegian outfit FK Bodø/Glimt standing between them and a place in the Europa League final.
Reports this week have claimed that the North Londoners will part company with Postecoglou regardless of their European exploits, leading to speculation as to who could replace the Australian. This has seen Burnley boss Parker enter the running.
Spurs Urged To Take A Punt On Parker
The 44-year-old has a long standing affiliation with Tottenham, having represented them as a player between 2011 and 2013 before returning as under-18 coach in 2017. However, he left a year later to join Fulham, eventually securing his first managerial role at Craven Cottage in 2019.
Parker has an excellent record in the Championship. He secured his third promotion from the division with the Clarets last week, following on from similar successes at Fulham and Bournemouth.
The Premier League is a different kettle of fish though. He suffered relegation with the Cottagers in 2021 and was dismissed by Bournemouth following a 9-0 defeat against Liverpool.
Despite that, former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara believes his former teammate would be the ideal candidate at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Speaking on talkSPORT, the pundit said:
“I think I’d like Scott Parker at Tottenham, I think there’s something about him.
“I’ve worked with Scott, I’ve been in the dressing room with him and he is top drawer, he is a top bloke.
“His speeches are great, he was a brilliant captain, I’ve seen him as a Burnley manager and I like what he’s about.”
Writer’s View
Parker’s Premier League record means that his appointment would be a risk, but this would be the ideal opportunity for him. He’d be joining a club he knows well and one that can’t really do any worse than what they are right now. His stints at Fulham and Bournemouth were at clubs that were destined to struggle, and it would be the same with Burnley next season. It’d be interesting to see what he could achieve at a club that is underperforming and one that feels they should be competing within the top four of the Premier League.
