Scott Parker has left Burnley with immediate effect and will now look for the next step in his managerial career.
Once again, the former midfielder failed to adjust in the Premier League following success in the Championship.
After a historic campaign in the second tier, in which the Clarets established a league record for fewest goals conceded in a single season (16), they couldn’t replicate the formula that led to promotion last year. A 1-0 loss to Manchester City sealed their relegation back to the Championship.
Burnley would probably be among the favourites to return to the top flight in 2027-28, considering Parker’s resume. The 45-year-old has already won promotion three times with three different sides in his career. Fulham in 2020, Bournemouth in 2022 and the Clarets in 2025.
Still, the board decided to go in a different direction and will assess their options for the managerial vacancy. Meanwhile, Scott Parker will have time to decide his next step – and we took a brief look at a few options.
Dream: Birmingham City
Parker seems to be in a sort of limbo betwen the Premier League and the Championship. He has already proven to have mastered the second tier, but has yet to make some noise in the top flight.
However, the squads he’s had at his disposal in the Premier League failures he’s overseen so far don’t really suggest the teams would have been much better off without him. The current Burnley side, for example, severely lacks talent and depth to fight for another season in the elite. They would have struggled either way.
Birmingham could be a nice mix of things that would go well for Parker. A board that is willing to invest — and has already done so this campaign — and a division he knows like the back of his own hand.
Chris Davies is still in charge and the club will make a decision on his future after the 2025-26 season ends. They sit 10th in the table but never really made a charge to contend for the play-offs.
And though it might sound like a good finish considering they were playing in League One last year, Blues owner Tom Wagner publicly stated that he was aiming for promotion to the Premier League.
Birmingham made a number of high profile signings since last summer. Demarai Gray, Tommy Doyle, Kyogo Furuhashi, Marvin Ducksch, Patrick Roberts and a few others in the January transfer window. And yet, the returns have been underwhelming.
The talent is arguably already there and the squad is probably good enough to at least contend for the play-offs. If what is missing is a better and/or more experienced manager at Championship level, Scott Parker would be a no brainer.
Realistic: Bristol City
Bristol City sacked Gerhard Struber in March and brought Roy Hodgson back from retirement until the end of the season.
They are already assessing a few candidates and a few names have got out in the press. Steven Gerrard and John Mousinho currently seem to lead the race. But recent news coming out of Burnley could change the outlook.
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The Robins failed to follow up on their play-off campaign in 2024-25 and went back to where they usually are: mid-table alongside Preston North End.
However, much of what got them to a top-six finish last season under Liam Manning is still there. There is enough quality and leadership with likes of Scott Twine, Jason Knight and Robert Atkinson to make a better push next year.
Wildcard: Tottenham Hotspur
Scott Parker’s surprise move to Club Brugge in 2022 throws a bit of wrinkle in the ‘wildcard’ concept. But there may be no need for too much creativity considering the harsh reality of his former club Tottenham Hotspur.
He actually started his managerial career at Spurs, in charge of their U18 side. After a full season there, he returned to Fulham as a coach under Slavisa Jokanovic and then Claudio Ranieri. It was only after the Italian’s sacking that Parker became a full-time head coach.
And while we have established that the best place for him after the Burnley spell is the Championship, it’s where Tottenham could be headed.
Of course, there are still four games to play and it looks like it’s going to be a tight one between them and West Ham. Possibly Nottingham Forest and maybe Leeds United, though it feels unlikely at the moment.
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Should Tottenham find themselves in the second tier next season, surely a full rebuild will be in place. Scott Parker in charge would make perfect sense in this scenario due to his connections with the team, the acquaintance and his success in the division and the overall culture inside the club.
Tottenham don’t have many players that thrive in the situation they are in at the moment. Having Parker to ‘toughen up’ the squad and shift the mentality accordingly.
Squawka Suggests: Leicester
Leicester City will play in League One next year, which we acknowledge would be too much of a step back in Parker’s career.
But, like Tottenham depending on what happens, the Foxes will also need to start fresh. Not only because of how the players handled the current Championship season, but also for financial reasons. Way too many large salaries that would make no sense in League One.
He would have full control of the squad, building it up with players who share a similar mentality and that would thrive in adversity.
Birmingham would certainly present the most ideal immediate situation. Already in the Championship, underwhelming but decent campaign and investment. But even with a potential promotion, Parker would find himself in the same place he’s been every time he’s stepped foot in the Premier League as manager.
He arguably needs to take a step back in order to take two steps forward. Going to Leicester would be a longer journey, but could also see him improve as a manager in the meantime and be more prepared for returning to — and dealing with — the top flight in the future. Could be the best option thinking long-term.