Lee Ryder: "Don't get me wrong, as a player I actually have a lot of time for Parker's energetic style of play.
"And in an era when players often have the raw enthusiasm coached out of them through managers overthinking tactical battles, it's good to see players who just chase anything that moves on a football pitch.
"But having experienced Parker as captain at Newcastle, I beg to differ with those who feel he could offer a magic solution for England.
"It was Glenn Roeder who appointed Parker as captain at St James' Park in the aftermath of Alan Shearer's retirement.
"Back then it was always going to be tough for whoever followed Shearer as captain - just like it was for Obafemi Martins when he was handed the number 9 shirt.
"Parker is a player who likes to get on with his own game and far from the type who has time to stop and take stock and organise his troops.
"At Newcastle, he didn't have the presence like Shearer.
"And while few actually did at the time, it would have been a safer bet to give the armband to somebody who knew the club better at the time such as Shay Given or Nobby Solano.
"The role of skipper at Newcastle is a big one.
"It's not just about what happens on the pitch, it's as much as what happens off the field and in and around the dressing rooms.
"It's about the politics and understanding what the fans want and are saying within the domain of the Geordie community.
"If anything, it's a huge job that can't be taken lightly.
"So while Parker was always on a hiding to nothing anyway as skipper, it was no surprise that he didn't manage to lift the team enough during the 2006/07 at key times.
"There were plenty of games in that campaign that Newcastle should have walked away with much more than they got.
"Parker even ended up having to apologise to fans after tensions boiled over during one game and he flipped by remarking to fans during the defeat against Sheff U.
"Parker could not understand why the criticism was so hard at Newcastle at times.
"It's always been different at Newcastle, something that Parker didn't always grasp.
"Like Michael Owen, Parker also didn't always feel the need to talk after the game as captain.
"Again, this is not a rant at Parker being a poor player or a bad person.
"Far from it, it's quite simply a view that Parker is not captain material because he is so focused on his own unique job for the team."