West Ham United have named ex-midfielder Scott Parker as their fresh head coach on a two-and-a-half-year agreement following Nuno Espírito Santo’s sacking, with the team looking to jumpstart their push for promotion in the Championship.
Parker Takes Charge at West Ham
Parker returns to the London venue as the fourth permanent boss for the Hammers since David Moyes left in May 2024, having been unemployed since departing the relegated Burnley squad in April.
Parker arrives with a clear focus on culture and team environment, noting his desire to build strong characters in the dressing room. During his playing days at West Ham, including their relegation season in 2011 when they fell behind against West Brom, teammate Carlton Cole recalled an inspirational half-time speech delivered by Parker.
West Ham United can confirm Jonathan Hill has joined Scott Parker’s backroom team as Assistant Coach. Welcome, Jonathan 🤝 🔗 https://t.co/LuO37HxZSa pic.twitter.com/HlgympDsPB
Parker inherits a backroom setup while the club confirmed plans to strengthen the backroom staff further in the coming days and weeks.
Championship Promotions on the Resume
Parker arrives with extensive experience in the second tier, having previously guided Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley out of the division. His managerial career has featured three promotions alongside stints in the Premier League. His managerial path began at Fulham, whom he immediately guided back to the top flight via a play-off final victory against Brentford in 2020, before leaving by mutual consent in June 2021 after relegation the following season. He subsequently managed Bournemouth and led them to promotion as runners-up, before a departure shortly into the Premier League campaign following a defeat at Liverpool. After a brief spell in charge of Belgian side Club Brugge during the 2022-23 season, he succeeded the Bayern Munich-bound Vincent Kompany at Burnley in 2024. Operating with a 31-match unbeaten run and boasting one of the strongest defensive campaigns in English football annals, he took the Clarets back to the top tier immediately, letting in merely 16 goals at a frequency of 0.33 per match while stringing together 12 straight league fixtures and exceeding 1,000 minutes clean-sheet-free, thereby establishing the first English league squad ever to avoid surrendering more than a single goal in any fixture across an entire campaign. However, after Burnley’s relegation last season, he departed Turf Moor in April.
West Ham confirm Scott Parker has joined as head coach and will take charge of tonight's game at Cardiff. Parker has signed a 2.5-year contract. Parker will be assisted by first-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, while Mark Noble will also be working… pic.twitter.com/KBD15fL95Z
Speaking about his return to east London, where he made 129 appearances and scored 12 goals between 2007 and 2011 after joining from Newcastle United for a fee of £7m following spells at Charlton Athletic and Chelsea, Parker emphasized his enduring connection to the club. During his playing career with the Hammers, he won the club’s player of the year award three seasons in a row and earned the Football Writers’ Association footballer of the year award alongside a PFA player of the year nomination during the 2010-11 season.
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.
Scott Parker, Head Coach
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,
Parker added.
First Match Ahead Against Cardiff City
Getting a strong outcome in South Wales proves essential as the new manager tries shrinking the deficit to the top-two automatic promotion spots ahead of the upcoming international break.
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,
Parker said, adding: 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.
🚨⚒️ Scott Parker has agreed all terms with West Ham as new head coach, contract set to be signed. Parker replaces Nuno Espirito Santo. 🤝🏼 pic.twitter.com/78NiUscw4m
More on West Ham
🚨 OFFICIAL: West Ham confirm Nuno Espirito Santo has been sacked with immediate effect. ⚒️ #whufc pic.twitter.com/xE96ylSn7M
West Ham United can confirm that Scott Parker has agreed a deal to become the Club’s new men’s first-team Head Coach 🤝 🔗 https://t.co/psiVYuW10J pic.twitter.com/33buMmXJ0f