Garry Parker will be Neil Lennon’s assistant at Easter Road and the Edinburgh Reporter looks back at the successful playing and coaching career of the 50-year-old.
Parker started his career at First Division side Luton Town as an apprentice in 1982, before making his debut the following year.
After failing to win a regular place in the team, he moved to Hull City where his form caught the eye of Brian Clough who paid £250,000 to take him to Nottingham Forest.
He won the first major honour of his career when Forest beat Luton to win the 1989 League Cup. He also scored twice at Wembley in their Full Members Cup Final victory over Everton later that year and was also part of the Forest side that retained the League Cup in 1990, beating Oldham Athletic in the final.
His performances earned him a call-up to Graham Taylor’s England squad although he did not win a cap for his country although he did play in a B International and was also capped at Under 21 level.
In 1991, Parker was sold to Aston Villa where was a member of the side that narrowly missed out on winning the first ever Premier League title in 1993.
In February 1995, he joined Leicester City where he partnered Neil Lennon in the centre of midfield.
His first season with the Foxes ended in relegation but Leicester bounced back the following year to win promotion via the Play-Offs with Parker himself scoring in the final,
He later won the third League Cup winner’s medal of his career after beating Middlesbrough in 1997 then after five years with the club he joined the backroom staff at Filbert Street and briefly took charge of the side in October 2001 following the departure of manager Peter Taylor.
In 2010 he teamed up with Neil Lennon at Celtic as first team coach and helped the club to three league titles and two Scottish Cup wins as well as progressing to the last 16 of the Champions’ League.
He also worked with Lennon at Bolton Athletic before moving to Easter Road.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
