6th November 2025 Daniel Luker (@danielluker_)
Scott Parker returns to West Ham as manager of Burnley this weekend, but just how good was he for the Hammers?
In his pre-match press conference ahead of West Ham vs. Burnley on Saturday, Scott Parker was asked about what it would be like to return to the club he spent four years at.
Parker said, “I’m looking forward to going back, and I’m sure I’ll see some familiar faces. I had four absolutely fantastic years there [West Ham], which I loved every bit of.
“A fantastic football club that not only made me feel very welcome but made my family feel very welcome.
“I felt really at home at West Ham, so yeah, I’m looking forward to going back and seeing some old faces.”
Scott Parker was absolutely incredible for West Ham in a time when we were absolutely awful. He won three Hammer of the Year awards in a row in 08/09, 09/10, 10/11.
We finished 9th, 17th, and 20th in those three seasons. Surprisingly, his best season in a claret and blue shirt came when we finished rock bottom under Avram Grant.
Parker scored 7 goals in 40 matches in all competitions that season and even won the football writers’ player of the year award as well as Hammer of the Year. That’s how good he was; he was voted the best player in the Premier League while playing for the league’s worst team.
His hard work, passion, and never-say-die attitude, along with his incredible footballing ability, made him the perfect West Ham United player, and the fans absolutely adored him. He was head and shoulders better than any other player at West Ham during that time.
He definitely isn’t near legend status because he spent just four years at the club and didn’t achieve anything with the team, but Parker would definitely be seen as more of a Hammers hero if he didn’t commit the worst crime of all. After we were relegated, he joined Tottenham Hotspur of all clubs.
The then 30-year-old handed in a transfer request as he wanted to continue playing in the Premier League. West Ham said they “reluctantly” agreed to the deal, despite their best attempts to keep him at Upton Park.