Tottenham hero Tony Parks reveals his road to recovery

Tony Parks achieved overnight stardom. His save in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Anderlecht won the UEFA Cup for Tottenham 25 years ago.

It should have been the start of a glittering career at White Hart Lane. Instead it was the beginning of the end.

Last season Parks - now older, wiser and 46 years old - returned to his spiritual home as a goalkeeping coach.

"When you think about it, I reached my Everest at the age of 21," said Parks. "After that it went downhill for me. But there was no one else to blame for that. It was me."

Parks became a party animal. "Maybe if it had all happened to me five or six years down the road, I know I would have been able to handle things differently.

"Basically, I stopped training properly and dedicating myself to football, and instead dedicated myself to all the other things around."

The lifestyle that went along with his new-found fame also left him with a few headaches - like hangovers. On one occasion he had a drink too many and foolishly decided to drive. He lost his licence when he was banned.

"You listen to great sportsman and what they say is that the big test is not getting to the top but staying there," added Parks. "I didn't do that.

"There were plenty of people out there to help me socialise. I had 100 new friends every time I went out. Plastic friends is what I call them.

"They were nowhere to be seen when things went wrong, when the brown stuff hit the fan.

"It was booze and the good life and I was in a constant haze. I started believing my own publicity. I had the whole, 'You are a star' mentality. I stopped listening to the right people and in the end people like Ray Clemence and manager Peter Shreeves said, 'Go on, make your own mistakes'. And I did."

Parks went on to play for 14 other clubs, albeit many of them on loan. He said: "I still liked a night out with the lads. If something was arranged, I was the first there and the last to leave."

He joined the dole queue on more than one occasion and found himself driving up and down motorways from his base near Blackpool to take goal-keepinsessions at Rochdale, Stoke and West Brom.

"I took work where and when I could," he said. "I mean, I was on the dole but I still had a mortgage to pay."

He even took a job as coach at Halifax. "It was for £500 a week but for that I had to sit on the bench as a cover goalkeeper if required, coach the goalkeepers, organise the bibs, cones and balls.

"The chairman wanted someone who could also make a cup of tea, put a broom up his backside and sweep the floors in the way out!"

Parks then decided to take stock of his career. "I always had it in me to earn a pound note and I was determined to become a coach."

He took his A-licence with the FA and was given a job looking after the England goalkeepers from the ages of 16 to 20.

"England managers want to bring in their own people and I understand that so when Harry Redknapp rang me about joining Tottenham, it didn't take long to agree.

"It's great, working with top class players every day at a club that will always be special to me. I feel I belong here and Harry is top class as a manager."

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