Bernard Parker

Bernard Parker

Personal information
Full name	Bernard Melvin Parker
Date of birth	16 March 1986 (1986-03-16)
Place of birth	Boksburg, South Africa
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position	Attacking Midfielder Forward
Club information
Current club	Kaizer Chiefs
Number	25
Youth career
	School of Excellence
	Mamelodi Sundowns
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2008	Thanda Royal Zulu	116	(29)
2009	Red Star Belgrade	16	(6)
2009–2011	Twente	17	(0)
2011	→ Panserraikos (loan)	12	(1)
2011–	Kaizer Chiefs	6	(1)
National team‡
	South Africa U-23	22	(1)
2007–	South Africa	41	(10)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 October 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 October 2011

Bernard Parker (born 16 March 1986 in Boksburg, Gauteng) is a South African professional association football midfielder/striker playing for Kaizer Chiefs.

Early life

Bernard Melvin Parker was born and grew up in Reiger Park, a township next to Boksburg. He was quite good in a variety of sports and excelled in short and long distance running as well as achieving Eastern Gauteng colors in swimming.

Club career

A product of the School of Excellence, Parker made his debut in the professional ranks for Cape Town's Hellenic FC, later bought and renamed Benoni Premier United. After the club was once again renamed and moved to Durban he remained with Thanda Royal Zulu F.C. until early 2009 when he obtained a transfer to European Cup Winners Red Star in Serbia. His stay in Belgrade was cut short after reports that the club had cash flow problems and owed its players' salaries. He consequentially signed with FC Twente in July 2009 and was a member of the team that won the Dutch 2009–10 Eredivisie. After Twente Manager Steve Mclaren's move to the German Bundesliga, Parker failed to convince new coach Michel Preud'homme of his qualities and thus spent the first half of the 2010/11 Dutch season mostly on the bench. He joined Leicester City on trial in December 2010 with a view to a permanent move away from the Dutch club. On 18 January 2011 he moved to Panserraikos F.C. on loan, to secure extra game time and returned to FC Twente after the end of the 2010/11 Greek season. After receiving interest from Swedish clubs Malmö FF and Helsingborgs IF as well as South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs, Parker chose the latter ahead of the other clubs.

International career

Bernard Parker had his national team debut against Malawi in 2007, scoring his first goal in 2008 against the same team. On 17 June 2009, he scored both goals in a 2–0 win over New Zealand in the 2009 Confederations Cup, and also received the Man of the Match award. He played in 2010 FIFA World Cup representing South Africa but the team was eliminated after group stage.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	2008-09-30	Germiston, South Africa	Malawi	1–0	3–0	Friendly match
2	2008-09-30	Germiston, South Africa	Malawi	2–0	3–0	Friendly match
3	2008-10-15	Bloemfontein, South Africa	Ghana	2–1	2–1	Friendly match
4	2008-11-19	Rustenburg, South Africa	Cameroon	3–2	3–2	Nelson Mandela Challenge
5	2009-03-28	Rustenburg, South Africa	Norway	1–0	2–1	Friendly match
6	2009-06-17	Rustenburg, South Africa	New Zealand	1–0	2–0	2009 Confederations Cup
7	2009-06-17	Rustenburg, South Africa	New Zealand	2–0	2–0	2009 Confederations Cup
8	2010-05-16	Nelspruit, South Africa	Thailand	4-0	4-0	Friendly match
9	2010-05-31	Polokwane, South Africa	Guatemala	5-0	5-0	Friendly match
10	2010-09-04	Nelspruit, South Africa	Niger	2-0	2-0	2012 ANC qual.

Honours

Club

FC Twente

• Eredivisie: 2009–10
• Johan Cruijff Schaal: 2010

External links

• Bernard Parker – FIFA competition record
• Bernard Parker at National-Football-Teams.com
• Bernard Parker at Transfermarkt