team place and signed for Sheffield United in November 1996. A brief spell back at Fulham, in their Division Three promotion campaign, followed. Later in the 1996–97 season, he played in four games for Chelsea (one start and three substitute appearances) during an injury crisis at Stamford Bridge, although he did not feature in the FA Cup Final triumph that ended Chelsea's 26-year trophy drought. After ending his professional career he entered the non-League scene with a move to Garry Hill's Heybridge Swifts. Parker previously played under Hill at Chelmsford Sunday League club Priory Sports, alongside Alan Brazil and Micky Droy. International career His prowess was noticed by England coach Bobby Robson who, establishing he could also play at right back, gave him his international debut against Albania in 1989. He had already appeared three times for the England B side, but was racially abused by England's own fans in a 2–0 win over the Iceland B side in Iceland on 19 May 1989. Parker continued to play centrally for his club while deputising for the first-choice Gary Stevens on the right side of defence for country. He was selected as Stevens' back-up for the 1990 World Cup in Italy but, with Stevens putting in a disappointing display in the opening 1–1 draw with the Republic of Ireland, Parker was put in the team, just five caps into his career. He stayed there, playing comfortably behind Chris Waddle as England progressed through their group and as far as the semi-finals, where they met West Germany. In the warm-up before the semi-final, Parker said in a 2022 interview with EnglandFootball.org that he "felt numb" because he was "too nervous to feel nervous." During the match, two incidents would define Parker's career. With the score at 0–0, the Germans won a free kick just outside the England penalty area early in the second half and as the ball was tapped to Andreas Brehme, Parker sprinted from the defensive wall to try to block the shot. Instead, it clipped off him at such an angle that the ball looped high into the air and swirled round and over goalkeeper Peter Shilton and into the net. The goal was credited to Brehme, but Parker managed to make amends with fewer than ten minutes to play. Collecting the ball down the right flank, he looked up and sent a high and dangerous ball towards Gary