West Ham have appointed Scott Parker as Head Coach on a two-and-a-half year contract until June 2029.
Parker previously scored 12 goals in 129 appearances as a player for West Ham between 2007-11 and 15 years after he left to join Tottenham, he has returned as Head Coach with the Hammers sat eighth in the Championship after defeats in their last two matches.
The 46-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half year contract until June 2029 as he marks his return to management after six months away, having left Burnley in late April following confirmation of their relegation.
He will take immediate charge of tonight’s Championship trip to Cardiff City.
Upon taking charge, Parker reflected on the chance to return to the club and reconnect with the “rapport and respect” from fans, as he looks to lead the club to instant promotion back to the Premier League.
“It is a very proud moment for me to step into this role and return to a Club that means so much to me and my family. A lot of very fond memories of my time here – four years of probably the best football I played in my career.
“There was a warmth, a love, a feeling that I probably didn’t have anywhere else. There was something which stood out constantly and that was the relationship that I built up with the fanbase here. That rapport and respect, that I felt instantly.
“More than anything, this is an opportunity that I am very excited about. I feel privileged and honoured to be the guy that wants to lead us back to the Premier League and be the Head Coach of this Football Club at this moment in time.
“My energy levels, my enthusiasm, my desire, my passion – it’s absolutely running through and that’s the feeling I had as soon as there was a conversation that this was possible. That’s exactly why I’m here and why I want to be here.”
Parker initially held conversations with Interim CEO, Karim Virani and co-owner, Daniel Kretinsky and explained that they share the same vision of promotion, having previously achieved that feat with Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley in his managerial career.
“From my first calls with Karim and Daniel, it was clear they have a shared vision and desire to return the Club to the Premier League as quickly as possible. I share that ambition and I’m very confident we can achieve it.
“I’ve been in this division three times and I’ve got out of this division three times. This is a tough division, there is absolutely no denying it. And I will use every ounce of my experience, every ounce of my knowledge, to have an understanding of what we’re going to need to bring consistency.
“And that’s going to be the key word for all of us really. The consistency of what we do and the commitment levels that we go to will give us the best opportunity to get out of this division and be the team that we can be.”
Virani added that West Ham “are delighted” to welcome a popular former player back as Head Coach with his expertise in the second tier.
“He is someone who is held in high regard at West Ham United and throughout the game, and he was the unanimous choice of the Board to become our new Head Coach.
“He has fantastic experience and pedigree across an outstanding playing and coaching career, a clear and proven track record of success as a Head Coach in the EFL Championship, and a deep understanding of West Ham United, its identity and our loyal and passionate fanbase.
“We believe that all of these factors together make him the right man to lead us forward and help the Club to achieve our objectives this season and beyond.
“Scott has the complete support of everyone here and, from the conversations we have had with him already, we believe he will represent West Ham United and our supporters in a way that we can all be extremely proud of.”
Parker will be supported by Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine on his coaching staff, whilst Mark Noble will work closely with him and further coaching details will be confirmed in due course.
Leave a Reply