Scott Parker, in the midst of a statement which touched upon a range of different topics, perfectly summed up why West Ham United believe he is the man to bring Premier League football back to the London Stadium.

He’s been there, done that, and has an entire wardrobe full of t-shirts to show for it.

Only two managers in the history of division – Neil Warnock and Steve Bruce – have more promotions to their name than Scott Parker. A three-time West Ham United Player of the Year, the former England international is as much a guarantee of success as you could genuinely hope for at this level.

Of course, his Premier League record does not make for particularly happy reading. But, well, we’ll deal with that when we come to it.

“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 added in a statement which sums up, more than anything else, why he was handpicked over a litany of other candidates; “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.”

Parker secured a play-off final victory over Thomas Frank’s Brentford in 2020, thanks to a brilliant Joe Bryan free-kick at Wembley. Frank was another of the managers West Ham might have considered, but Parker really rubber-stamped his position as the leading contender with two more promotions out of the second-tier.

He was appointed as manager of Bournemouth in 2021 and led The Cherries to second place with 88 points. Parker’s Burnley outfit became the first in the competition’s history to accumulate a century of points in 2024/25 without winning the league. Ironically, Manor Solomon’s last-gasp strike secured Leeds the title instead on the final day.