Scott Parker admitted he was “humbled” to receive the 2011 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year Award but insists his only focus is on helping West Ham retain their Barclays Premier League status.
In what was one of the closest contests of recent seasons, Parker topped the poll of journalists ahead of Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, who recently picked up the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award.
Parker becomes only the second Hammers player to collect the award since its inception in 1948 and admitted he was shocked to be honoured, saying: “You know obviously at this moment in time I am in a position that West Ham as a football club could still stay in the Premier League.”
He added: “It might sound like I am trying to sound correct sitting here but that is honestly how I feel.
“At the moment we can stay up. Obviously we are relying on a lot of other points and I think if you ask me that question in two weeks time it will all be a lot clearer.
“As I have said before, effectively when a team gets relegated – which is a possibility for us – things get changed.
“Not just the playing staff, everything changes at a football club.”
Asked whether he was surprised to have won the award, he said: “I suppose I thought ‘how can that happen?’
“I am Scott Parker, West Ham are in a relegation battle and I am winning the award.
“I soon got told the last West Ham player to win the award was Bobby Moore and it was very humbling for me.”
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Article source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/latest/2011/05/13/parker-humbled-by-award-115875-23127151/
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