As Bernard Parker embarks on his coaching career at TS Galaxy following his retirement at the end of the last season, he credits a significant portion of his achievements to the mentorship of Steve McClaren, the ex-assistant coach of Manchester United.

Parker had the chance to collaborate with McClaren during their time at FC Twente, where they celebrated a league triumph in the 2009/10 season, narrowly overcoming Ajax Amsterdam by a single point and finishing ahead of PSV Eindhoven.

At that time, Luis Suarez was emerging as a talent at Ajax and ended the season as the league’s top scorer with 35 goals, while Twente’s Bryan Ruiz followed closely behind with 24 goals.

This league victory was crucial for Parker, securing him a solid spot in the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, as they prepared for the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted in South Africa.

“Steve McClaren was one of the finest coaches I’ve ever had the honor to work with,” Parker expressed.

“Throughout his coaching journey, he has cultivated numerous talented players. McClaren excels in man management, akin to Alex Ferguson, truly understanding how to engage with players.”

He encouraged Parker to further his education in sports management, advice Parker embraced with enthusiasm.

“Upon leaving FC Twente and returning to South Africa to join Kaizer Chiefs, he emphasized the significance of enhancing my management education,” Parker reminisced.

“I pursued sports management entirely based on its prospective advantages for my career.”

During his tenure at Twente, Parker was not particularly known for his goal-scoring, netting only three times in 31 appearances across all competitions.

Recently, McClaren has parted ways with Manchester United after two seasons as assistant coach under Erik ten Hag and has commenced as head coach of the Jamaica national team in September.

Despite the 14-year gap, Parker still maintains a close bond with his former mentor.

“We remain in touch,” Parker asserts.

“I gained a lot from his character; he possessed a remarkable personality that greatly impacted the players.”

“I wish him all the best.”

McClaren’s guidance appears to be producing positive results for Parker as he takes his initial steps into coaching at Galaxy. Currently, the DDC side sits fifth in the standings with 23 points from 12 matches, having experienced just one loss – to the reigning champions, Stellenbosch – throughout the season.