Scott Parker had to leave out two players from the West Ham squad for his first match because of a little-known EFL rule.
New West Ham head coach Scott Parker had to leave out two players from his first Championship squad for the 3-3 draw against Cardiff City because of a little-known EFL rule.
Parker was named the Hammers boss on Wednesday morning, taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo. Unusually, he chose to lead the team in a competitive match on his very first day in charge.
The 46-year-old, who played for West Ham between 2007 and 2011, faced a tough start as his team fell 3-0 behind in the first half, thanks to a hat-trick by Cardiff midfielder Jack Moylan.
But Parker’s half-time talk seemed to inspire the team, as goals from Divine Mukasa, Arne Engels, and Max Kilman helped West Ham come back for a valuable draw in Wales.
When picking his first squad, Parker left out striker Pablo and winger Maxwel Cornet. Together, they cost West Ham £38.5 million in the Premier League. Pablo has played regularly this season but scored only one goal in nine games. Cornet hasn’t played at all this season but did travel with the team to Cardiff.
Both players were left out because of an EFL rule that says at least seven home-grown players must be included in each matchday squad. With only three home-grown players starting—Max Kilman, Jarrod Bowen, and Divine Mukasa—Parker had to pick four more home-grown players for the bench.
The bench included non-homegrown players Alphonse Areola, Edvin Austbo, Mohamadou Kante, Joel Piroe, and Tomas Soucek. The four homegrown players on the bench were Airidas Golambeckis, Ezra Mayers, Lewis Orford, and Ollie Scarles. They also meet the EFL’s rule that each squad must have at least one club-developed player.
If a team breaks this second rule, they can only name eight substitutes in their next league game instead of nine.
Parker has a great track record in the Championship, having helped Burnley, Fulham, and Bournemouth all earn promotion to the Premier League. In fact, every English club he has managed has reached promotion under him.
He’s also well-connected to West Ham, having played for the club for four years. In 2011, he became the second West Ham player ever to be named Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.
Parker shared his feelings about the job, saying, “It’s a very proud moment for me to take this role and come back to a club that means so much to me and my family. I have many fond memories from my time here. There was a special bond with the fans, a feeling I haven’t had anywhere else.
“This is a really exciting chance for me. I feel lucky and honored to be the person leading us back to the Premier League and to be head coach of this club right now.”