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Scott Parker returns to become Spurs' U18 boss, club ambassador

Scott Parker has returned to Tottenham as the club's new Under-18 coach and club ambassador.

Parker spent two seasons at Spurs between 2011 and 2013, making 63 appearances, and he has spent the past four years at Fulham, where he was club captain before announcing his retirement this week.

The 36-year-old has been taking his coaches badges and helped Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic in a coaching role while injured last season. He will begin work at Hotspur Way immediately, and his appointment follows the arrival of Wayne Burnett as Under-23 coach and Perry Suckling as an academy coach.

Parker also played for Charlton Athletic, Norwich City (on loan), Chelsea, Newcastle United and West Ham United, and won 18 England caps, skippering the Three Lions for one match as a Spurs player.

"I'm delighted to be back at Tottenham and look forward to immersing myself in the job. Obviously it wasn't an easy decision to call time on my playing career though I'm looking forward to this new chapter and am grateful to Spurs for handing me this opportunity at such an exciting time in the Club's history. It is a great honour to represent the Club both as a coach and ambassador," Parker said.

John McDermott, Tottenham's head of coaching and player development, said: "Scott will need no introduction in terms of his playing credentials. He's been planning a career in coaching for a number of years and during his time here he was not only completing his coaching qualifications but dealing with players in real-life situations.

"Scott's role within the Academy will be to manage the Under-18s players and to instill the standards required to be an elite international and Premier League player.

"I know how passionately Scott feels about the personal qualities Mauricio needs from players to be a success in our first team and I know he will develop these qualities in our players on and off the training pitch."

Meanwhile, Spurs have announced a multi-year agreement with Nike to become their new kit supplier.

The club's five-year deal with Under Armour, worth £10 million per season, ended at the end of last season and sources have told ESPN FC that the deal with Nike is worth roughly three times that.

Chairman Daniel Levy said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Nike, one of the world's leading brands. Nike is committed to partnering with us both at home, at a time when our new stadium scheme is the catalyst for the regeneration of Tottenham, and globally, with our growing fan base mirrored by Nike's worldwide reach."