Big decisions are being made at West Ham United right now, as Nuno Espírito Santo has been relieved of his duties as head coach amid a string of underwhelming results, and Scott Parker has been confirmed as his successor. However, one surprise name was considered before settling on Parker.

West Ham have confirmed the appointment of former Fulham, Bournemouth, and Burnley head coach Scott Parker after the latest dismissal of Portuguese boss Nuno Espírito Santo.

The 46-year-old spent four years with the Hammers as a player between 2007 and 2011, and is now set to return to East London, but this time in the technical area, as West Ham considered the potential appointment of a surprise name before deciding on the ex-midfielder.

West Ham United considered the appointment of Johnny Heitinga before settling on Scott Parker

According to The Athletic, West Ham considered former Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool coach Johnny Heitinga as a potential successor to Nuno before ultimately deciding to move forward with Parker.

The former defender has been out of work since leaving Spurs in February 2026, where he spent just one month working under Thomas Frank before the Dane's dismissal.

Heitinga had previously spent time at West Ham as a coach between September 2023 and June 2024 under David Moyes, as his prior connection with the East London outfit likely had a lot to do with his initial consideration.

However, The Athletic reported that Mark Noble lobbied for the appointment of Parker over Heitinga, as a new era is set to get underway at the London Stadium imminently.

Why Johnny Heitinga was considered before West Ham United chose Scott Parker

Heitinga, 42, made 87 appearances for the Dutch national team, as the defender represented the likes of Atlético Madrid, Fulham, Everton, and Ajax throughout his playing career, before eventually starting his coaching journey with the latter.

He joined Arne Slot's coaching staff at Liverpool in July 2024 and spent one season on Merseyside before earning the top job at Ajax the following year, though his time as a head coach didn't go to plan, winning just five of his 15 games at the helm.

Though he has worked for some elite head coaches, both in his playing days and since undertaking this new profession, Heitinga is still largely unproven, and his appointment would certainly have come with more risk.

Instead, the Hammers have opted to go with Parker via Noble's recommendation, as the English boss will be aiming to add a fourth promotion from the Championship to his CV by the end of the campaign.

What do you make of West Ham considering appointing Heitinga? Is Scott Parker the correct person to take the club forward? Share your thoughts below!

West Ham United will be hoping for a swift Scott Parker impact after Nuno Espirito Santo decision

With Parker officially penning a two-and-a-half-year deal with West Ham to become their new head coach, those in East London will be hoping for a swift and immediate impact from the former midfielder.

With three promotions from the Championship on his CV and a former West Ham player who knows the club inside and out, on paper, this couldn't be a more ideal appointment for the Hammers.

The automatic promotion places remain not too far away as things stand, and Parker will certainly back himself to lead his former club on the charge back to the Premier League.