Josh Parker | RedMatchday interview

They say that good things come to those who wait and Josh Parker was rewarded for his patience when he made his first start for the Dons recently at Inverness Caley Thistle after an impressive early string of substitute appearances. Josh also scored two cracking goals for the u20s this week.

Patience has been a quality that he’s had to cultivate in a career that has taken him from London to Belgrade and now to the Granite City, along with many places in between since he began his career at Queens Park Rangers.

“I was born just outside London in Slough and I was a QPR fan growing up. My uncle and my granddad used to go to the games. I was actually at Wycombe when I was young but I then lost a bit of passion for football at that level because I just wanted to play with my friends. I wasn’t used to people telling me to do this and do that, I just wanted to go and play without someone trying to drill things into me. So I went back and played Sunday League for a while and then QPR showed an interest in me. I went there and trained with them for about two months before they made a decision on me.

“I was offered a deal and joined them as a scholar. I sat on the bench for the first 13 games and then got some playing time because two players got injured. I scored a couple of goals and then I got injured. I got over it and then had one of the most prolific seasons I have ever had, which then convinced them to give me a pro deal.

“At QPR I experienced the best and worst moments in my career so far. The best was when I joined the club and was given a contract, and then the worst the day was when I left, although I didn’t have to leave as I had an option to stay.

“What I experienced and what I learned in that short period was probably more than many players experience in their whole careers. I had about 13 managers, I was part of a team that won promotion to the Premier League, a team that had so much talent in it but also so much pressure on it.

“I went from Sunday League to QPR when I was 16. I started doing my scholarship and then club was about to go into liquidation. After my first season, that was when the money came in. They released a lot of players and then brought in a lot of new players. They were basically trying to buy a team. The owner was Italian so they were bringing in players from Italy.

“I realise now that as a player, you always have pressure but as a youngster, I did not deal with it correctly. Throughout your life you get little triggers that teach you things, even if you don’t realise it at the time. Maybe that is what separates the really top players from others. From a young age, maybe they don’t feel that same pressure because they are surrounded by people who are constantly telling them how good they are. I have always been on my own and have had to teach myself everything.

“So much is about your mentality and your attitude. A lot of people ask me who was the best player I played with? Simple. Adel Taarabt. He is the best player I have played with or against. You won’t understand unless you play with him. He was at the same level as the very, very best players. I remember in the Championship he scored something like 19 goals one season with 22 assists.

The thing that maybe let him down was his attitude. If he had the attitude of a player like Steven Gerrard he could have played for any club he wanted. Harry Redknapp and Neil Warnock would tell you the same!”
After half a dozen league games for QPR, Josh was finally on his way, but it wasn’t plain sailing after walking out of Loftus Road for the last time.

“Leaving QPR, the club I supported and the club I was with from a young age, it had a big effect on me and I went on a downward spiral. It is a spiral a lot of players can go on.

“To try and get out of it, I felt I needed to go somewhere that would allow me to just concentrate on my football and go somewhere without any distractions. That took me to Slovenia. It was hard at first but after a difficult spell, a new manager came in and believed in me. I started to perform well which helped me get the move to Red Star Belgrade.

“Going abroad has developed me as a player. I would recommend it to any player who gets released by a club. Even although it was hard emotionally, being away from my family, it was the best decision I ever made. You take yourself out of a comfort zone and put yourself in a position where you have to fight for everything.

“The biggest thing about going abroad was learning a different style of football. When I was playing in the lower leagues in England with clubs like Northampton, Oldham and Oxford United, it was all long ball with people telling me I was not big enough. I made a conscious decision to step away from it and learn a different style of play. I like to think that will benefit me here.

“I am only 24 and I am still learning the game. I have had so many ups and downs but I think this is a step in the right direction. Coming to Aberdeen, I settled in straight away. It was obviously not as big a change for me coming here as opposed to me going to Belgrade. Culturally that was quite a big change to get used to. Coming to Aberdeen is just like coming home really.

“My family have already been up a few times and with the international break next week I will get a chance to go back to London which will be nice.

“The first game I came on, I got a big cheer from the Aberdeen supporters. That was very nice to hear especially as a lot of the fans would not have known too much about me. I like to think that since then, they have taken a liking to me because when I have got on the pitch I have always done something.

“For the Celtic game, the manager just said get on and try and run in behind and put yourself about. That is my strength as I can run all day really. I did not do anything that was out of the ordinary. I did not think I had to come on and win the game or anything. I just had to play my game because I am confident within myself.

“Saying that, you do need reminders that you are capable of great things. Any game you go into, you need to go into it with belief and that is something the manager gives all the players. You cannot go into a game thinking someone is better than you. If you do that you are in the wrong sport. The manager is very good at handling people.

“I don’t really get nervous before a game. When I am in a zone in my head, I don’t think anyone can touch me. That is not me saying I am the best, but that is me being confident and giving myself the confidence to show what I am capable of.

“When you go onto the pitch you can’t have any doubts. You can’t think my opposite number is bigger than me or stronger than me or faster than me. If you do that, it leads to mistakes. When the ball comes into your feet, you can’t be thinking negative thoughts. Football is about winning individual battles. It is a competition with your opposite number. If someone tackles me hard in a game I get up and smile.

“I think that was one of the biggest things I learned when I was in Belgrade. I learned not to worry about it. Before I would beat myself up about it but now I would just smile. I think you should always play with a smile on your face. Even if you make a mistake, you cannot get frustrated”.

Josh wants to extend that approach to the way Aberdeen approach what is, let’s face it, new territory for many with the club at the top of the table. Would seasoned watchers of Scottish football be being cynical if we suggested that the media is hyping the Dons up just to hack us down again when they get the chance?

“I don’t think you can get bothered by it as it does not change anything. It does not affect or make a difference with what you are trying to achieve. People create a lot of hype and then when you lose a game it gives them more of an opportunity to kick you when you are down.

“You win or lose a game and then move onto the next one. You don’t let the previous game stick in your head whatever the result. As I say it works both ways. You can’t get too carried away if you win a game and you can’t get too down if you lose. We can’t affect the media, so we should just let them get on with it and worry about what we can affect”.

As Josh noted earlier, whilst the home nations are still in the midst of the European Championships with the upcoming international break, Josh will be here in training and trying to take a couple of days break in London.

It’s a far cry from last month when he was away on World Cup duty. Captain of Antigua & Barbuda, Josh led his side out in World Cup 2018 CONCACAF Qualifying Third Round games against Guatemala. They won 1-0 at home in the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, but lost narrowly the away leg 2-0 four days later in the Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores. Had they got through to round four, they would have played in the group stages with the regions big countries – Costa Rica, Mexico, United States, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

“It was disappointing but qualification was not really expected. We were hopeful but we were always the underdogs because of the size of the country and the experience we had within the squad. Unfortunately some of the senior players that we do have were unable to play in the games.

“Had we won we would then have got into the group stages of the CONCACAF qualification with countries such as the USA and Mexico. It would have been nice but it was not meant to be. Qualifying for a World Cup will always be a big task for a country of less than 100,000 people. A more realistic aim for Antigua & Barbuda would be to start off by qualifying for the Gold Cup. I think that is more achievable.

“I think the country needs to look at their recruitment. We have some good young boys but I think we need some more experienced players. The young players are not used to playing in big games where there is a lot of atmosphere. The last time we got to this stage we had a far more experienced team. Now you have a team with much more potential but experience is key”.

Josh truly is a world citizen when it comes to football, but inevitably, he understands the English game the best and he has real issues with the direction the game is going in down south.

“I am concerned with the way football is going, especially in England. I think there is no structure to it. There is a lot of money in the game down south but with that comes problems. A young player at a top club made a good point to me recently when he said the game is becoming selfish.

“You do not play football for money but you have to earn as much money as you can, enjoy it whilst you are doing it and then get out. And then be clever enough with your money so you can live a happy life. Before you know it, your career is finished. You have to get out of it what you can.

“The essence of what football used to be, it has changed. It’s a shame”.