Slaven Bilic has confirmed he was on West Ham's radar to replace Graham Potter, eight years after his sacking. The 57-year-old, who played at Upton Park between 1996-1997, spent two years in charge of the Hammers. He was sacked in November 2017 after a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool, which was his 39th defeat in 111 games in charge.
However, Bilic remains a familiar figure among West Ham fans, having guided the club to a seventh-place finish in 2016, their best Premier League finish in 14 years. He is still on the mind of club owner David Sullivan, who has considered bringing the Croatian back as a possible replacement for Potter. Bilic has claimed he was close to taking on the role, saying:
"I was close, but I didn't get the job. They got Nuno, who is a great coach and had done a great job at Wolves."
After a brief spell in the job, Bilic has been out of work since August 2024, having left Saudi club Al Fateh. He has expressed his desire to return to management in the Premier League or Championship with a club that has ambitions to progress. "Everyone wants to come back, and I'm very excited about the possibility of coming back." he said.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on a chance to return to West Ham, Bilic believes his experience will help him guide a club well on their way to promotion to the Premier League. Meanwhile, West Ham remain 18th in the Premier League despite two consecutive wins, and face a tough test after the international break, travelling to Bournemouth before hosting Liverpool and taking on Manchester United and Brighton on the road.
