Scott Parker 'very confident' of promotion after West Ham appointment
Scott Parker has said he is delighted to return to West Ham after being appointed as the club's new manager.
Parker replaces Nuno Espirito Santo as manager at the London Stadium, following the latter's dismissal this week.
The former Hammers favourite has been tasked with reviving the club's promotion campaign, with West Ham currently eighth in the Championship and six points adrift of leaders Middlesbrough.
Parker spent four seasons with West Ham as a player and was named the club's Player of the Season on three occasions. He outlined his excitement to return to a club where he played the 'best football' of his career.
“Firstly, I think the raw emotion is excitement. I have a lot of fond memories of my time here as a player - it was probably where I played the best football of my career - and for many reasons, I had a really strong affiliation with the Club," he said.
“There was a warmth there, a love and a feeling I probably didn’t have elsewhere. I instantly connected with the Club, and I had a young family at the time so that connection meant a lot.
“As you can imagine, this has brought back a lot of fond memories, since the conversations started. To be here is brilliant, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Scott Parker 'very confident' of securing Championship promotion as West Ham manager
Parker has a proven track record of promotion from the second tier. The 46-year-old has previously led Bournemouth, Fulham and Burnley to Championship promotion and said he is 'very confident' he can secure a fourth promotion this season.
“I’m very confident. I’ve been in this division three times, and I’ve got out of this division three times.
“This is a tough division, there’s absolutely no denying that, and there isn’t one player on a bit of paper that gets you out of this division. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m going to use every ounce of my experience and knowledge from my three previous promotions, to help us achieve our goal.
“I think consistency is going to be key for all of us - the consistency of what we do, and the commitment levels that we’ll go to in order to give us the best opportunity to get out of this division and be the team that we can be.
“Of course, the squad I look at on paper is very talented, and more than capable of getting back to the Premier League. We know it’s everyone’s desire to do that, and I fully understand the responsibility on all of us to achieve that.
“There’s lots of work to go into making that happen, for sure. As I said, I’m going to pour everything I’ve learnt during my previous experiences into this job, and from the moment I step into the building I’m going to try and pass on that knowledge to the coaches and players, to make sure we’re in the position we want to be at the end of the season.”
