Source: Daily_Mail
Scott Parker leading West Ham's struggle for survival from the front
Is there anything Scott Parker cannot do? West Ham may be fighting for their Premier League lives, but their talismanic midfielder goes from strength to strength. [LNB]From the emotive half-time captain's speech that sparked his side's three-goal comeback to take a point against West Bromwich Albion, to winning plaudits for his 45-minute cameo in the holding midfield role for England against Denmark, the 30-year-old Parker continues to impress. [LNB] Unstoppable! Parker (L) inspired West Ham to a vital win over Liverpool on Sunday with a superb goal [LNB]Never mind his consistently high level of performance or his seven goals in all competitions this season (four of his five in the league have helped earn the Hammers a point or better), his commitment - particularly in a struggling team - is unrivalled. [LNB]Parker was a severe doubt for Sunday's match against Liverpool as late as three hours before kick-off after damaging his shoulder in training on Saturday. [LNB]But a pain-killing injection enabled him to start and he responded with West Ham's opener - winning the ball under pressure, popping it off to Thomas Hitzlsperger and flicking the return ball into the back of the net, taking it early with a wonderfully improvised finish. [LNB]Even though club captain Matthew Upson took the armband again against Liverpool, Parker is a general on the field. [LNB]Hitzlsperger said: 'Scott is very influential, a top-class player. He does everything very well and we are lucky to have him. He's one of the players that plays well consistently and that is difficult if you are in a team who are not playing well every week. It says something about your qualities.[LNB] 'He's not just a great player, he's a great person as well. That sums it all up.'[LNB] Mark Kinsella, who saw Parker break into the first team at Charlton Athletic, told Sportsmail last year: 'He's what we always thought he would be - he's Mr West Ham. [LNB]'He'll lead by example, like he always did. You just knew he had something and now he's rolling his sleeves up and asking the rest to follow him.' [LNB]Parker must surely be a contender for Footballer of the Year. [LNB] West Ham 3 Liverpool 1: Dalglish's bubble is burst by ParkerGrant: Hammers' captain marvel Parker could not walk hours before vital winMcCarthy prepared for final day drama as dogfight looks set to go the distanceAll the latest West Ham United FC news, features and opinion[LNB] Explore more:People: Matthew Upson, Thomas Hitzlsperger Places: Liverpool, United Kingdom, Denmark
