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Ray Parlour was loyal, dependable, tenacious and a much better player than he was given credit for.
Instantly recognisable with his blond curls, the man tagged ‘Romford Pelé’ by Marc Overmars rose through the ranks and broke into the Arsenal side in January 1992. It was a baptism of fire. Ray conceded a penalty in a 2-0 defeat at Anfield. Unabashed, he came back for more. Seven months later, he ran the show at the same ground as Arsenal reversed that score line.
Manager George Graham clearly had faith in the young midfielder. Ray himself fitted snugly into a midfield which prided itself on its industry and grit. This was while the likes of Ian Wright and Paul Merson were left to weave the magic further forward.
However, he was much more than a workhorse and would blossom under the tutelage of Arsène Wenger. Some thought the Frenchman’s arrival in September 1996 would herald the end of Ray’s Highbury career. Instead, Ray was encouraged to express himself on the pitch whilst also adding an extra dimension to his game.
He never lost the tackling ability or the will to win which gave Arsenal’s midfield such perfect balance. This won the hearts of the Highbury faithful but also increasingly, showed he had subtlety too. Training and playing alongside the likes of Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp no doubt helped.
Man of the Match:
The Dutch master was the star of Wenger’s first Double side but Ray scooped the man of the match award when Arsenal added the FA Cup to their League title. They beat Newcastle at Wembley in May 1998. Four years later, he would also score one of the great Cup Final goals himself, stunning Chelsea from 25 yards at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
Ray was never prolific, indeed, he barely registered a goal before Wenger arrived. He certainly had an eye for the spectacular. A stunning hat-trick at Werder Bremen, another treble against Newcastle and a thunderous Champions League strike against Valencia at Highbury all spring to mind.
Having landed his second Double in 2002, Ray was increasingly side lined by knee trouble and also the emergence of Freddie Ljungberg. However, he remained a key member of the squad. He stepped in for the injured Patrick Vieira in the FA Cup Final win against Southampton and captaining the side to that famous 5-1 win against Inter Milan at the San Siro.
Ray left Highbury on a high note in the summer of 2004, shortly after Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ had completed an unbeaten title campaign.
He was no superstar but remains one of the most underrated and highly decorated players in Arsenal’s history.
Ray Parlour signed for Middlesbrough and stayed there for two and a half years until 2007. He then joined Hull City for a short period before retiring from the game at the end of that year. Ray Parlour had been capped 10 times by England between 1999 & 2000.
Currently Ray is a regular on Talksport Radio and Sky Sports. He is also one of the most popular speakers on the sportsman’s after dinner circuit
