894 Ray Parlour

Biography

Highly experienced and decorated England international midfielder Ray Parlour was in the twilight of his professional career when he came to Phil Brown’s Hull City to spark a revival and avoid relegation.  The class that earned him the nickname “The Romford Pele” shone through despite his sub-100% fitness levels, and he played an important part in the club’s recovery.

Parlour spent the first 14 years of his career, starting at the age of 16, at Arsenal, where he amassed over 400 senior appearances, three Premier League titles, four FA Cup winners’ medals, one League Cup triumph and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup gong.  He was a pivotal in many of Arsenal’s most famous domestic and European forays from 1992 to 2004, when he signed a three year deal for Middlesbrough.  He added a further sixty games to his professional tally but by January 2007, midway through his third year, he was not getting picked for Boro and was released from his contract.  He signed for City two weeks later.

Parlour earned 12 England under-21 caps before making a breakthrough in the senior XI in March 1999.  In total he won only 10 senior international caps, a tally that was on the low side for such a regular and lauded presence at the upper reaches of the Premier League.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 7 March 1973, Romford
Hull City First Game: 10 February 2007, Derby County A (Championship), 33 years, 340 days old
Hull City Final Game: 6 May 2007, Plymouth Argyle H (Championship), 34 years, 60 days old

Clubs

Arsenal (1989-2004), Middlesbrough (2004-2007), Hull City (2007), Wembley FC (2012)

Hull City Record

Career: 15 apps, 0 goals