FRANK LAMPARD and Jose Mourinho, Ryan Giggs and Sir Alex Ferguson, Niko Kranjcar and Harry Redknapp . . . some players form a particularly special bond with their manager.
Few though are as close as Fulham’s Harry Arter and Scott Parker, who are actually related.
Harry Arter and his boss Scott Parker are relatedCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
Arter reveals Parker treats him no differently to any other playerCredit: Rex Features
Yet being boss Parker’s brother-in-law has done Arter no favours at the Cottagers — nor would he want it to.
The midfielder, 30, said: “If no one knew he was my brother-in-law, there’s no way you would have ever thought any different. He treats me no different to any other player.
“It’s made it easy to distance myself from any sort of feeling that Scott is more than just my manager.
“I don’t think he would have felt he had to point that out to the rest of the squad when I arrived. He’s so focused on getting the club promoted.
“He felt when I signed that I would be able to help him do that.
“But there have been times when he’s had to leave me out of the team or I’ve come back from suspension or injury and he hasn’t put me back in. It’s as simple as with any other player.”
Arter idolised Parker as a player and credits the ex-England midfielder’s influence for helping his rise from non-league to the Premier League with his parent club Bournemouth.
Parker’s success was testament to his mental strength and professionalism.
Those are two characteristics Arter has always tried to bring into his own game — and he sees those traits as key to Parker’s managerial style, too.
Parker, who is married to Arter’s sister Carly, is one of three big personalities Arter has played under in the last decade.
The Sidcup lad learnt why Neil Warnock is famed for his man-management skills during his loan at Cardiff last year, claiming the 71-year-old understands the importance of a player’s “happiness”.
Warnock sometimes trusted Arter to do his own fitness work near his central London flat rather than traipse to South Wales if only a light session was booked that day.
Arter felt the special bond Warnock created in the Bluebirds’ squad would be enough to keep them up.
But ultimately they were relegated, with the tragic death of record signing Emiliano Sala in a plane crash appearing to take its toll on the squad and, particularly, Warnock.
He treats me no different to any other player.
Arter on being Scott Parker’s brother-in-law
Arter recalled: “We were off the day the news broke.
“I was back in Bournemouth and we got a group message to let us know that the plane had gone missing.
“As a group it was difficult. We didn’t get to meet him at all so we didn’t know him. It was a strange time and was so sad and shocking to see.
“I know it hit Neil really hard. Not for one minute is he ever responsible because it’s a complete tragedy, but in his head I’m sure he felt like he was the reason Sala was at the club.
“Neil made him his No 1 priority, he wanted him there.
“I remember some days looking at the manager and feeling like, ‘He’s not completely with us today’.
“That soon changed, he used it as his motivation. He really wanted to stay up in honour of Sala and all his family.
“That was a big disappointment, that we didn’t manage to do it.”
The midfielder is trying to help Fulham back to the Premier LeagueCredit: AFP or licensors
His longest-serving boss is Eddie Howe, who signed him from Woking, but the pair had a falling out two years ago when Arter fell down the pecking order at Bournemouth.
Arter was in a dark place after his partner Rachel gave birth to stillborn daughter Renee and admits now he was in the wrong.
He reached out to the Cherries chief a year ago to apologise and now their relationship is so good they speak monthly.
Arter, who has a three-year-old daughter Raine, said: “My pride, my ego, was telling me to blame Eddie Howe. That ultimately led me to leave Bournemouth.
“I didn’t accept I had to do more to get back into the team. There was a lot more to that situation where mentally my life wasn’t as stable as it is now.
“But I felt it was very important to say that to Eddie. I just apologised.
“I just wish I handled that situation so much differently.
“I opened up and told Eddie where I was at mentally and what I regretted. He was very thankful.”
Arter won the Championship with Bournemouth five years ago.
He feels this Fulham side has more natural ability compared to Howe’s 2015 champions but only recently have they had a work-ethic epiphany.
Arter, whose side visit Blackburn today, added: “As a group we’ve realised that ability alone is not going to win us games this season.
“It definitely feels like it’s changed over the last five weeks.
“As much as getting promoted is the be all and end all, I want to contribute to that so I feel like, you know what, next season you have to sign me.”
HARRY ARTER is pictured here featuring WALK London’s ‘Hiker Runner’ trainers from their latest collection. WALK London are an official partner of Fulham FC. Available exclusively online at www.walklondonshoes.com.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
