The 31-year-old, who was born in Australia but qualifies to play for Scotland through his grandfather, has been the subject of heavy criticism in the past.

But the in-form Parks, who has now won back-to-back man-of-the-match awards, believes Wilkinson can overcome his doubters and return to his former glories.

He said: “As my dad always said, I picked the position that’s going to get the most grief.

“The position we play, you’re always in the game. At 10 you are in charge of where the game’s more or less played.

“We’re the ones who are trying to score the points. It all equates to you being either the hero or the villain.

“Jonny’s obviously a central figure to the way England play the game.

“At the end of the day, I’m sure Jonny and all his team-mates know that he’s a great player and that’s all that’s important.”