Scott Parker has been confirmed as West Ham’s head coach, taking over from Nuno Espírito Santo, who was sacked on Tuesday. The club’s former midfielder arrives on a two-and-a-half year contract with the team eighth in the Championship and takes charge of his first game at Cardiff on Wednesday.

West Ham hope that Parker, a promotion specialist, can spark a revival after defeats in their past two matches. The 46-year-old has led Burnley, Bournemouth and Fulham into the top flight.

West Ham kept faith with Nuno after last season’s relegation from the Premier League but acted after they were beaten at home by West Brom last Saturday. Parker has been out of work since leaving Burnley after their relegation from the Premier League last April.

Parker said: “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.”

He said he was excited to return to the club for whom he made 129 appearances between 2007 and 2011. “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.”