West Ham held talks with ex-Premier League star before Scott Parker decision

West Ham reportedly held talks with John Heitinga over succeeding Nuno Espirito Santo before the club settled on Scott Parker. The Hammers named their former captain as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract 24 hours after firing Nuno . The East Londoners pulled the trigger on the former Wolves gaffer following successive home defeats to Southampton and West Brom . However, despite the rapid turnaround within the dugout, the Irons still considered other potential successors to the 52-year-old. John Heitinga held talks with West Ham According to The Athletic, West Ham held talks with Heitinga about potentially replacing Nuno before and after the loss to West Brom. The report adds that the Dutchman was interested in the role, but Mark Noble instead encouraged Daniel Kretinsky to appoint Parker. Heitinga was previously West Ham’s assistant coach between September 2023 and May 2024, during David Moyes’ tenure in charge. The 42-year-old has been out of work since leaving his role as Tottenham’s number two in February. Heitinga’s Spurs exit came amid Thomas Frank’s firing , which happened just 33 days after he joined the Dane’s backroom staff . The former Everton and Fulham player’s last job as a head coach came prior to his arrival in north London. Heitinga, who departed his position as Arne Slot’s assistant at Liverpool in the summer of 2025 following the Reds’ Premier League title triumph , took up the post at Ajax . Heitinga’s record as a manager The 87-cap Netherlands international only won five matches in his five months as the main man in the dugout of the Dutch giants. Towards the end of his reign, Ronald de Boer labelled Ajax as a club in ‘crisis’ on talkSPORT, while European football expert Andy Brassell admitted Heitinga’s appointment was a ‘real backward step’ . Ironically, it was a defeat to West Brom that saw West Ham register their interest in his services, with Heitinga previously attracting managerial interest from the Baggies themselves in 2025 . Parker, meanwhile, will meet his new players on Wednesday ahead of their away league match with Cardiff, which is live on talkSPORT2. The Englishman, who has achieved Championship promotion three times in his managerial career with Fulham , Bournemouth and Burnley , was available as a free agent after leaving the Clarets in April. Parker said: “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.”