West Ham United have confirmed the appointment of Scott Parker as their new head coach following the sacking of Nuno Espírito Santo.
The former England international, who spent four years at the club as a player and captained the side, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract. He will take charge for Wednesday’s match against Cardiff City.
Parker will be assisted by first-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, with club legend Mark Noble also working closely with the new setup.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League last season under Nuno and sat eighth in the Championship after a 3-1 defeat to West Bromwich Albion that cost the Portuguese his job. The club have now turned to Parker, who has guided three different sides — Bournemouth, Fulham and Burnley — to promotion from the Championship.
Parker made 129 appearances for West Ham between 2007 and 2011, winning the club’s Player of the Year award three seasons in a row and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year prize in 2010-11.
“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,” Parker said. “There was a warmth, a love, a feeling that I probably didn’t have anywhere else… 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.”
Interim CEO Karim Virani added: “We are delighted to welcome Scott and his family back to the club. 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… We believe he will represent West Ham United and our supporters in a way that we can all be extremely proud of.”