'Why I'm here': Scott Parker sends message to West Ham fans in first words as new manager

Ambition is clear as former Hammers midfielder succeeds Nuno Espirito Santo

West Ham have confirmed the appointment of Scott Parker as their new manager.

The former Hammers midfielder has quickly been appointed on a two-and-a-half year contract to succeed Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked on Monday following a disappointing start to the Championship season.

Parker had been out of work since leaving Burnley by mutual consent in April following confirmation of their relegation from the Premier League and is a second-tier promotion specialist, having previously led Bournemouth, Fulham and Burnley to the top-flight.

His two-decade playing career included a memorable four-year stint at West Ham between 2007-11, where he made 129 appearances across all competitions and won back-to-back Player of the Season awards after joining from Newcastle in a £7million move.

Parker - who also played for Chelsea and Charlton - eventually left for rivals Tottenham in 2011 after handing in a transfer request, staying at Spurs for two seasons before finishing his career at Fulham.

“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,” Parker said. “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.”