West Ham United have announced the appointment of Scott Parker as their new head coach.

On Tuesday morning, the Hammers revealed that they had parted company with Nuno Espirito Santo.

That was despite the club sitting just six points adrift of leaders Middlesbrough in the Championship table, and a game at Cardiff City taking place on Wednesday night.

However, given the speed that reports emerged over an approach for Parker, it soon became apparent that the wheels over a replacement had already been in motion.

Just over 24 hours since Nuno was sacked, the return of former West Ham midfielder Parker has been confirmed.

Scott speaks ?️ https://t.co/WcFoZhBA97

— West Ham United (@WestHam) November 4, 2026

Parker reacts to West Ham return

West Ham have revealed that the 46-year-old will be in the dugout for the game with Cardiff.

Parker told the club's official website: "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.

"From my first calls with Karim [Virani] and Daniel [Křetínský], 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."

West Ham fans will back Parker appointment

While there has been occasional criticism of Parker's playing style, he boasts an incredible record as a manager in the Championship.

He has guided each of Fulham, Bournemouth and Burnley to promotion to the Premier League.

A total of 76 wins, 41 draws and 21 defeats have been recorded in 138 games in the second tier of English football.