Leeds United loanee's new boss confirmed as old Daniel Farke promotion rival appointed
Joel Piroe left Leeds United for West Ham on loan in the summer.
On-loan Leeds United striker Joel Piroe will play under former promotion rival boss Scott Parker, following his appointment as West Ham manager.
West Ham confirmed the appointment of Parker on Wednesday morning, 24 hours after their decision to sack Nuno Espirito Santo following back-to-back home defeats. The Hammers are currently eighth in the Championship, well below automatic promotion where many expected them to run away with it.
In their bid to climb the table, West Ham have welcomed their former midfielder Parker back to East London. The 46-year-old most recently won promotion with Burnley during the 2024/25 campaign, finishing on 100 points and missing out on the title by goal difference to Piroe’s parent club Leeds.
“I’m very confident. I’ve been in this division three times, and I’ve got out of this division three times.” Parker said following his appointment. “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. 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.”
Parker is actually the only manager with a minimum 100-game sample to boast a higher points-per-game average than Farke, his 1.95 just above the Leeds managers 1.92 - albeit in just over half the number of matches. Elland Road chiefs will have an eye on whether he can maintain that record.
As reported by the YEP back in the summer, West Ham’s loan deal for Piroe includes an obligation to buy - believed to be worth around £15m - if they are promoted. The Suriname international will get a quick chance to impress his new boss, Parker taking charge of this evening’s Championship trip to Cardiff City.