Mark Warburton says moving to the Premier League to become a member of David Moyes ’ backroom staff at West Ham was a challenge he felt he was more than ready to take on.
The 59-year-old arrives at Rush Green with a huge wealth of experience within the game, having previously worked as an academy manager, first-team coach, sporting director and, since 2013, as a manager, taking charge of nearly 350 matches and winning two promotions, one cup competition and a string of individual accolades along the way.
Warburton’s first stint as a boss was in the hot seat at Brentford whom he guided into the Championship after gaining promotion from League One in 2014 and immediately took them into the play-offs before leaving at the end of his contract following a semi-final defeat to Nottingham Forest.
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He then moved on to Rangers with whom he completed a league and cup double in his first season by winning the Scottish Championship and Scottish Challenge Cup though he was on the move again a year later after leaving the Gers and joining Nottingham Forest.
Warburton’s time at the City Ground lasted just ten months however and, after a short period away from management, he returned in 2019 to take the reins at QPR, staying in west London for three years before leaving at the end of his contract last month. He then made the surprise decision to join Moyes at West Ham, with the club having a vacancy to fill following the equally-shocking departure of assistant coach Stuart Pearce.
“It is an exciting time to be part of West Ham and I’ve got to be honest, it was a big decision, but I’m very fortunate to be in a position to make a decision like that,” Warburton told the club website. “But I think you’ve got to keep challenging yourself and I know what I can do in managing and I know what I can do in the Championship and, touch wood, I have got a decent CV and track record.
“You’ve got to challenge yourself and the chance to work in the Premier League with outstanding players and an outstanding manager and staff and understand everything about the Premier League is a big learning curve. I’ve always been learning all my life in terms of working in the city and coming to football later, and you’ve got to keep on learning and challenging yourself and pushing the boundaries.”
Warburton was widely expected to take on another job in management following his departure from QPR, with his name heavily linked with the Birmingham City job. The Blues are currently part of a proposed takeover by ex-Watford chairman Laurence Bassini who is backed financially by West Ham owner David Sullivan. When Warburton arrived at Rush Green last month, speculation grew that the appointment was made by Sullivan, though the new Irons coach said it was in fact his relationship with Moyes that eventually brought him through the door in east London.
“The manager and I go back a few years away from football,” he added. “We used to play a bit of golf – very rarely, unfortunately – and we got on well, and it’s important to get on well and have chemistry in whatever you do, otherwise it doesn’t work. The manager has developed chemistry in his staff here and I have been looking around and there are some very good people here, so I think he must be very pleased with the quality of the environment he has created here.”
"The better the people, they want to work and want to contribute and want to play their part, so therefore for me in the first week or so, I've got to see how it works here. People have their roles and what they do and the simple fact is that West Ham have had two excellent seasons, so my job isn’t to come in and rock the boat; my job is to come in and hopefully have a look and, with the manager and the staff here, hopefully add a bit of value and a bit of quality to allow us to move forward in the right direction.”
Among Warbuton’s first actions as a coach has been to travel with the team to the club’s pre-season camp in the French town of Evian-les-Bains ahead of their friendly against Servette on Friday. The Hammers then face Boreham Wood, Ipswich Town, Reading, Luton Town, Lens and Warbuton’s former side Rangers before their Premier League campaign finally gets underway against the champions Manchester City at the London Stadium on August 7.
West Ham will also be taking part in the UEFA Europa Conference League for the first time next season after finishing seventh in the league last term, with the club busy working on several new signings to help Moyes, Warburton and the rest of the team achieve as much as possible during the 2022/23 campaign.
“I haven't come just to sit here and do nothing,” said the new coach. “I've got to make sure that I’ve come into senior position and make sure I add something. So, that's got to be my role. I've been very fortunate to manage some very good clubs and I've got to see how best can I help the manager here help to drive the club forward
“West Ham finished sixth the previous season and seventh last year, so the aim has got to be to keep moving the club forward, keep developing the squad, keep helping create the right environment for these players to keep on getting better, and keep on developing, and I've got to make sure I contribute in the right way.”
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