Stade de Reims boss Will Still has outlined his ambitions to one day manage a Premier League club amid links to West Ham, having enjoyed huge success in his brief career in the dugout so far.
The plans should come as welcome news to Hammers supporters, with the club not only stagnating under current boss David Moyes but also fighting for their top-flight survival.
The East London outfit is going strong in the last eight of the European Conference League but has dropped into the Premier League relegation zone amid a miserable domestic campaign.
Still, who guided his current club to a Ligue 1 record 17-match unbeaten run earlier this season, is wanted by West Ham, according to Foot Mercato on 20 March.
Speaking about managing in the Premier League, Still told Sky Sports: “I’ve never really thought about it because I never expected to be in the position I am so early and so suddenly. Why not? I’ve done some crazy things in the past; I was head coach at 24 and the same thing happened at 28 back in Belgium now I’m 30 and people are saying this is crazy.
“Being English and growing up in an English environment in Belgium, England has always felt like home and a place that I’d love to go back to. It would feel like coming home, just because the English culture is part of me, part of my roots, part of my family, and part of who I am.
“I think if you asked any kid what they would like to do, they’d say they’d love to be a Premier League footballer or manager and I’m no different. I was brought up like everyone else and had the same dreams. I’ll keep at them.”
It would be foolish to link Still with a move to West Ham solely due to the fact that he is a fan of the club, as he told Sky Sports Football, with the manager providing various reasons for how he could take the Hammers forward.
First and foremost, however, the links are not surprising given how poor West Ham has been in the league this season under Moyes. They have won just six of their 26 matches and are just a point off rock bottom.
On the other side of the coin is Still’s rapid rise in the dugout, with Reims currently sitting ninth in Ligue 1. Moreover, only Jonathan David and Kylian Mbappe have more goals than Folarin Balogun, with the Arsenal loanee outscoring global superstars Lionel Messi and Neymar.
There are definitely several talented players among the Hammers ranks, and it may just take a young and exciting manager like Still to unlock their full potential.
The Hammers have a stadium, fanbase, and squad worthy of top-half football, but have failed to reach those heights under Moyes more often than not.
The club could go down its previously followed route of hiring experienced veterans like Manuel Pellegrini, Sam Allardyce and indeed Moyes, with Rafael Benitez recently linked [Daily Mail].
But the youthful approach is a much better option, much like Eddie Howe at Newcastle, with Still a strong candidate, while Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is reportedly highly thought of at his former club [Sunday People].
Leave a Reply