By Temidire Adefolarin
The former Hammers captain has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal, returning to the club after guiding Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley to promotion from the Championship.
West Ham United have handed Scott Parker the responsibility of leading their campaign to return to the Premier League, appointing the former club captain as head coach less than 24 hours after dismissing Nuno Espírito Santo.
The 46-year-old has agreed to a two-and-a-half-year contract and is expected to take charge of the team for Wednesday evening's Championship encounter against Cardiff City.
Parker returns to the London club with a strong record in the English second tier, having secured promotion to the Premier League with three different teams: Fulham in 2020, Bournemouth in 2022 and Burnley in 2025.
His achievements with Burnley also earned him the EFL Championship Manager of the Season award for the 2024/25 campaign.
The appointment marks a return to familiar surroundings for Parker, who represented West Ham between 2007 and 2011, making 129 appearances for the club.
During that period, he won the club's Hammer of the Year award three consecutive times and was named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year for the 2010/11 season. He became only the second West Ham player, after the legendary Bobby Moore, to receive the individual honour.
Speaking about his return, Parker described the opportunity to lead his former club as a deeply personal achievement, recalling the strong connection he developed with supporters during his playing career.
He said his four years at West Ham represented some of the finest football of his career and expressed excitement about taking responsibility for the club's efforts to regain its Premier League status.
Parker also made clear that his previous experience of winning promotion would be central to his approach, stressing that consistency, discipline and commitment would determine the team's chances of succeeding.
Having achieved promotion from the Championship on three occasions, he said he understood the demands of the competition and was prepared to draw on that experience to guide West Ham.
He added that discussions with club officials Karim Virani and Daniel Křetínský convinced him that they shared the ambition of securing a swift return to the top flight.
West Ham confirmed that Parker would work alongside first-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine. Former team-mate Mark Noble will also maintain a close working relationship with the new head coach.
The club said further announcements concerning the permanent composition of Parker's coaching staff would be made later.
Parker's appointment follows West Ham's decision to end Nuno's tenure on Tuesday after reviewing the team's performances and start to the Championship season.
The Portuguese manager, who joined the club in September 2025 after leaving Nottingham Forest, departed alongside assistant head coach Rui Pedro Silva and goalkeeping coach Rui Barbosa.
West Ham will now look to Parker's promotion-winning experience and previous association with the club to steer the team towards a return to the Premier League.
Temidire Adefolarin
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