There was a difference, however. The reason Parker was parked behind Glenn Roeder until the final ten minutes of a second leg tie his team were never in danger of losing was to save him for bigger challenges ahead:

for Old Trafford this afternoon, where Newcastle will be seeking to end 34 years of hurt against Manchester United, and for Old Trafford next Saturday, where twoand-a-half years of hurt on the England front seems likely to come to an end for the inform Londoner.

Discarded by Sven Goran Eriksson after walk-on roles against Denmark in 2003 and Sweden 2004, Parker has been brought in from the cold by Steve McClaren as the obvious stand-in for Owen Hargreaves in the midfield holding role in the Euro 2008 qualifier against Macedonia.

His inspired early-season play as Newcastle's new team leader . . . having taken the captain's armband from Alan Shearer - has greatly impressed England's newish head coach.

"It hurt when I wasn't in squads, " he reflected. "There would be something wrong with me if it didn't.

"I'd be happy to play in the holding role for England.

Owen Hargreaves has done really well in it, but I think we've got many a player who can fill it. We'll just see what happens."

It has been going particularly well for Parker in the Premiership lately, since Roeder gave him the captaincy and asked him to be play more adventurously from central midfield. "It's part of my natural game. I used to get forward a lot at Charlton but when I went to Chelsea I was asked to do the Makalele role."

When Parker was asked to play at Chelsea, that is.

Signed from Charlton for £10m by Claudio Ranieri in January 2004, he started just one Premiership match under Jose Mourinho in the 2004-05 season . . . after which he moved to Newcastle for £6.5m. "I don't feel like I failed at Chelsea, " Parker insisted.

"It was just a lack of opportunities. It turned into a situation where I was 24 and I needed to play football. I was not guaranteed that at Chelsea. It was in my best interests to move on."

Moving to Newcastle was a smart step for Parker. It gave him the kind of platform he enjoyed in his seven years with Charlton.

The remarkable thing is that he has been able to maintain such prolific all-action form while still recovering from the debilitating effects of glandular fever, which afflicted him towards the end of last season.

"It does make a run of games quite gruelling, " Parker confided. "I started feeling it probably three months before I actually stopped playing. I just thought I was having an off day, but it went on like that. It was pretty zapping really."

Much the same can be said of Newcastle's record against Manchester United away from St James' Park. Their last victory against Manchester United in Manchester dates back to 12 February, 1972.

"My record at Old Trafford's not that great either, " Parker confessed. "I don't think I've ever won there. It's a tough place to go, and the way they're playing at the moment it's going to be even more difficult.

"They made a good signing in the summer in Michael Carrick, and Paul Scholes coming back after injury is like another new signing for them. It's going to be very difficult for us but we'll go there and give it our all."

Two months into the season, the prospect of overdue silverware is looking as remote as ever for the Magpies. Parker, however, is determined to keep the faith.

"I came to Newcastle because they're a big club and because I thought I could achieve what I wanted to achieve, " Parker said.

First, however, comes the push for a win in the Red Devils' cauldron.

FA PREMIERSHIP MANCHESTER UNITED v NEWCASTLE UNITED Old Trafford, 3.00