Ex-West Ham star denies offer to replace Allardyce, but wants Premier League job

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Former West Ham United defender Slaven Bilic told Sky Sports that he does want to manage in the Premier League.

After a 13th place finish last season, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was under increasing pressure at Upton Park, with many fans demanding a change in the dugout in order for the club to move forward.

Despite the calls for Big Sam’s departure, the West Ham board not only kept him, but backed him heavily in the transfer market with a raft of new signings.

In came the likes of Aaron Cresswell, Carl Jenkinson, Alex Song, Diego Poyet, Cheikhou Kouyate, Morgan Amalfitano, Mauro Zarate, Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, and so far, their faith has been repaid.

The Hammers have won five of their first 11 league games this season, and currently sit in fourth place – a start that few would have expected based on the performances last term.

Yet there are still murmurings over Allardyce’s future, particularly with his contract expiring at the end of the season, and bookmakers are already taking bets on who will be the next West Ham manager.

One of the more interesting names in that list is Slaven Bilic, who is currently the sixth favourite to take the reins at Upton Park at some point in the future.

The Croatian, currently manager of Besiktas, spent 18 months with West Ham as a player in the mid-1990’s, and was linked with a return to the club in the summer.

However, speaking to Sky Sports during their coverage of the Italy v Croatia game over the weekend, Bilic said that he had no offer from West Ham – but he would like to manage in the Premier League.

“I have not received an offer from West Ham however, of course like any manager one day I would like to manage in the Premier League,” he said.

Should Allardyce leave West Ham, Bilic’s name is likely to be mentioned once again, as it is every time the Hammers are looking for a new manager.

And with his public admission that he’d like a job in the Premier League, he would probably be at the top of West Ham’s wish list should Allardyce move on next year.