Declan Rice has already admitted he ‘loves’ manager West Ham could be about to appoint
Nuno Espirito Santo is nearing the sack at the London Stadium which could leave West Ham searching for their third manager of the season.
West Ham were beaten 1-0 by Fulham on Saturday afternoon, a result that keeps them five points adrift of safety in the Premier League.
Raul Jimenez scored the only goal of the game, heading home in the 85th minute as Nuno’s side once again looked lacklustre going forward.
With their top-flight status now in increasing doubt, West Ham may decide to sack the Portuguese manager and appoint a familiar face in the dugout.
Slaven Bilic would take West Ham job
When Graham Potter was dismissed earlier in the season, Slaven Bilic was one of the favourites to take over at West Ham.
The 57-year-old previously spent time with the Hammers as a player in 1996 and as a manager between 2015 and 2017.
With Nuno under pressure, Bilic has once again been linked with a return to West Ham as the East London side’s hierarchy explore their options.
The former Croatian international would likely accept the role at the London Stadium until the end of the season, if he were to be offered the job by the Hammers.
What Declan Rice has said about Slaven Bilic
Former West Ham captain Declan Rice was given his senior debut by Bilic back in the 2016-17 season, and he has previously expressed his admiration for the Croatian manager.
During an interview in 2018 (Irish Examiner), Rice revealed that he “loved” playing under Bilic and insisted that he should get credit for showing faith in young players like himself.
He said: “The manager has shown faith in young players like me and he should get credit for that. He knows all about West Ham from his days here as a player and we love playing under him.”
Another of West Ham’s former captains, Mark Noble, has also spoken about Bilic in the past, praising him after his arrival in East London back in 2015.
Noble highlighted the character of Bilic, adding that he was very approachable as a manager.
Despite the positive words of his former players, the ex-West Ham boss would still be a risky appointment for the Hammers, given their current position in the Premier League table.
If Bilic failed to hit the ground running at the London Stadium, then a return to the Championship would be inevitable.
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