Scott Parker started his coaching career at Tottenham Hotspur in July 2017 and was handed the permanent manager’s job at Fulham earlier this month
Tottenham Hotspur academy coach Bradley Allen is pleased to see Fulham hand Scott Parker an opportunity to show what he can do in management after appointing the ex-England midfielder as their permanent boss last week.
After spending the 2017/18 campaign in charge of Spurs' under-18s, he departed last July to return to Fulham and it has proved a wise move with the 38-year-old promoted from first-team coach to caretaker boss and now manager inside 12 months.
Former Queens Park Rangers and Charlton Athletic forward Allen has been involved in Tottenham's academy for over a decade and is not surprised by Parker's rapid rise having worked with him at Hotspur Way.
"I'm really pleased to see Scott get the job permanently at Fulham. I know Scott from my Charlton days initially," Allen, 47, told this title.
"He was a young player coming through when I was in the first-team squad when Alan Curbishley managed and he went on to have a very successful playing career.
"I think coaching and management is something that has always interested him and he was prepared to work with younger players.
"(Tottenham's Head of Coaching and Player Development) John McDermott gave him the chance with the under-18s at Spurs and then the opportunity came to return to Fulham and he has now got the permanent position, so I wish him every success.
"I know he will work extremely hard to push Fulham next season and make them competitive back at Championship level and I am sure he will do a fine job."
Despite only retiring from professional football in June 2017, Parker's interest in coaching started way before then.
After moving to Spurs in 2011, he didn't need much encouragement from McDermott to get involved in dealing with Tottenham's youth-team from a mentoring perspective and started his coaching badges around the same time.
During his spell with the Lilywhites, he made a big impression on Harry Winks, who has since forced his way into Mauricio Pochettino's squad and become a key player over the last few years.
Even though Parker left White Hart Lane in 2013 to sign for Fulham, long-term his aim was always to become a coach.
A return to Spurs as manager of the club's under-18s for the 2017/18 campaign was a big statement of intent, given he could have continued playing in the Championship, and his next brave decision was to move into first-team coaching a year later.
"Scott was very open and receptive to new ideas and has obviously come from a top playing background, but he was always prepared to be out on the training pitch," Allen added.
"He wanted to learn and work with young players and was prepared to make a few mistakes along the way and you have to be prepared to do that.
"Now it will be important that he is supported across the summer. Whether he will lose players remains to be seen, but I'm sure he will shape the team to play the style of football he wants and hopefully they can immediate bounce back."
Given Parker's affiliation with Spurs firstly as a player and then as a coach, plus the fact Tottenham's former under-18 boss Matt Wells is also at Craven Cottage, many connected to the Lilywhites will take a keen interest in how the duo fare next season.
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