Some footballers leave an impression because of what they achieve on the pitch. Others are remembered for the way they carry themselves, the influence they have on a dressing room and the example they set for those playing alongside them.
For Paul Parker, three players stand out when reflecting on the teammates he admired most during his career: Bryan Robson and Steve Bruce at Manchester United, and Ray Wilkins during his time at Queens Park Rangers.
They were different personalities, playing in different positions, but Parker saw qualities in all three that went beyond their footballing ability.
Bryan Robson: A captain who still gives him goosebumps
Parker's admiration for Robson has never diminished, even years after they shared the Manchester United dressing room.
The former England midfielder was already an established figure when Parker arrived at Old Trafford in 1991, bringing with him a reputation that extended well beyond his performances as a player.
But Parker believes that to understand Robson properly, you had to spend time in his company.
"Robbo. I mean, Robbo. You can't — it's difficult. Everyone can say it about him and talk about him and everything, but to actually be in his company, it gives you goosebumps because now he's still got that. He's still got that aura now when he's there," Parker tells Football Presse.
He recalls a more recent encounter that demonstrated why Robson's personality had made such a lasting impression.
After attending an event at the Lowry Theatre, Parker stayed overnight in Manchester and joined Robson, Gary Pallister and Lee Sharpe to watch United play Reading in the FA Cup.
They were sitting together in a hospitality box when Robson offered Parker a drink. What followed was a small gesture that said plenty about the former captain.
"Robbo asked me, 'You want a drink?' Yeah, I'll have a drink. Get us some wine. Yeah, some wine. Robbo's there pouring me wine. 'Have you — oh, you want some more?'"
Parker was almost embarrassed by the situation.
"I thought to myself, I should be doing that for him. You know, it's that kind of young pro, old pro respect."
For all his achievements in football, Robson had retained an approachability that Parker found remarkable.
"All he is really is an ordinary fella who was a great footballer, which is an understatement, but he was just as great off the field as well. His personality and everything around him is a buzz.
"You see him and he'll talk to anybody. You come up to him and you address him in the right manner, and he will have a conversation. He will talk to you. He wouldn't just ignore you."
For Parker, those qualities defined a genuine leader.
"When people talk to me about captains, he's a captain. And there's only a few who were like that, who did it that way. And I was lucky that when I was at United, I played for two of them like that, him and Steve Bruce."
Steve Bruce: The courage and character of a great centre-half
Bruce was another Manchester United teammate who earned Parker's enormous respect, both for his defensive qualities and his personality.
There was a possibility that Parker could eventually move into central defence at Old Trafford, potentially taking Bruce's place. But the latter's determination to reclaim his position ensured that the situation never developed in that direction.
"Steve Bruce being Brucey, what he is, Brucey stops doing what he's doing when he decides. And he felt he could keep going and he was absolutely fantastic."
Parker had played alongside numerous centre-halves during his career, but Bruce belonged to a particularly special group.
He also mentioned former QPR teammate Alan McDonald, explaining that both defenders shared a similar approach to the game and were men their teammates could depend upon.
"They both played with their hearts. And both of them were great, great blokes on and off the pitch."
He particularly valued their honesty and reliability.
"You could rely on them for everything. When they told you, they told you, and you s*** yourself, and you go in, and then you kind of, you want to make it up very quickly with them."
Bruce's qualities were not limited to his defending. Parker was also impressed by his technical ability and the courage that made him such a threat in the opposition penalty area.
That was demonstrated spectacularly in April 1993, when Bruce scored twice in the closing stages against Sheffield Wednesday to give United a crucial 2-1 victory in their first Premier League title campaign.
Parker was not surprised that Bruce had delivered such a decisive contribution.
"No, not really, because that was Brucey.
"He had the ability to make a difference. He scored 18 goals in one season, which tells you everything about the contribution he could make at the other end of the pitch.
"Brucey was a midfield player when he played for Gillingham. He had very good feet, very clever with the ball with his feet, but he was so, so brave in that box. I mean, his nose will tell you that."
Parker also revealed that Ferguson's substitution of him during the Sheffield Wednesday match was an important part of the story, although he was quick to acknowledge the manager's judgement.
"Brucey just had that about him, just had that bit about him to make a difference, to be honest. And he could just score those kind of goals."
Despite Bruce's achievements, Parker believes his contribution to United's success has never received the recognition it deserves.
He is particularly frustrated by modern discussions about the greatest Premier League defenders, which often overlook players from earlier generations.
"Brucey is just a great bloke and a great centre-half."
Ray Wilkins: The QPR teammate who stood above the rest
While Robson and Bruce made their impression at Manchester United, Parker's admiration for Ray Wilkins came from their time together at QPR.
Parker remembers a club that attracted a remarkable collection of experienced footballers, including Osvaldo Ardiles, Peter Reid, Nigel Spackman and Mark Falco.
But when asked to identify the outstanding player among those teammates, he had little hesitation.
"I absolutely loved the football club. My final few months there weren't great, didn't really enjoy it that much with Gerry Francis, but it was good with some really good — and I played with some incredible great players.
"There were some incredible players who were just — it was like a little conveyor belt. I've just experienced players come and go, but Ray Wilkins was the best one."
Parker's description of Wilkins is particularly revealing because it captures the combination of technical brilliance and self-belief that made the midfielder such a distinctive character.
"Ray Wilkins was incredible, and his ability with the ball," he says.
He also remembers the contrast between Wilkins' London upbringing and the polished personality he could display around others.
"This lad from Hillingdon, a Londoner, proper Londoner, who suddenly changed and become the poshest man in the world when he's around."
But it was Wilkins' absolute confidence in his footballing ability that Parker remembers most vividly.
"His manners were impeccable. His arrogance was absolutely off the scale. Because his belief in his own ability was incredible.
"He just knew what he was going to do next when he got the ball."
That confidence could occasionally frustrate his teammates, particularly when Wilkins demonstrated that his judgement had been correct all along.
"He was just — sometimes you want to pin him down and beat the hell out of him because he was always right."
Yet Parker's affection for him is unmistakable.
"But what a lovely man he was. He was adored at QPR, absolutely adored, as he was with Chelsea. And I can imagine as he was when he was in Italy as well."
For Parker, these were three footballers whose qualities extended well beyond their individual achievements. Robson had an aura and a generosity that made him an exceptional captain, Bruce combined bravery with an understated technical ability, while Wilkins possessed a confidence and understanding of the game that made him the standout player of Parker's QPR years.
They were very different characters, but each left him with a lasting respect for what made a great teammate.
Paul Parker's book "Tackling the Game: My Life in Football" is from Pitch Publishing - which is available here.
