Scott Parker Could Have Been Man Utd’s New Roy Keane

Manchester United have been linked with many big name star’s in my lifetime but one player I am surprised Sir Alex Ferguson never showed a strong serious interest in is Tottenham’s Scott Parker before he made his switch to White Hart lane in August this year.

This is a player who was voted the football writer’s player of the year award last season for his outstanding performances playing for West Ham who were relegated from the Premier League.

I see so much of the same attributes in Scott Parker as i did when watching United and Ireland legend Roy Keane. Both players play (or played in Keane’s case) with their heart on their sleeve, always give 100% effort, are natural leaders on the field of play, and have a tenacious tough tackling style of play. United have never replaced Keane after he left the club under controversial circumstances in 2005 with a player that ticks all the boxes like Scott Parker does.

Although at the time I subscribed to the fact that United did not need to replace Keane with a tough tackling central midfielder as the game has evolved and teams tend to use creative midfielders in the modern game, it does make me wonder just what Parker could have done for United in a central role doing a job that Keane did so successfully?

And at £5.5 million it was hardly a financial risk to purchase a player who has proven premiership quality was it? The money that Tottenham paid West Ham to secure the services of Parker was a bargain In today’s crazy transfer market.

If you look at our current crop of central midfielders think to yourself who would Parker get in front of if Sir Alex had of brought him to Old Trafford?

Would you pick Parker ahead of £20.4million misfit Anderson?

Would you pick him ahead of Michael Carrick?

Would you pick him ahead of Darron Gibson?

Would you choose him ahead of Park Ji-Sung?

Would you choose him ahead of Darren Fletcher?

I am guessing that the running trend of the answers to them questions is “Yes.” With the exception of Tom Cleverely I would choose Parker over any other central midfielder at United on current form.

Parker cold have filled a void left by the departed Keane, he could have been the closest thing to replacing the Cork born Irish legend, but now I guess I can only speculate about what could have happened if Sir Alex had have showed an interest in Parker who I am sure would have been a sensation given the chance to pull on the red shirt at Old Trafford.