Will Still reveals why he can never manage West Ham despite supporting them

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Former Lens and Southampton manager Will Still does not believe he could possibly manage West Ham United – because he loves the club too much.

Belgian-born British coach Still is a West Ham United fan and at one point was one of the most in-demand young managers around.

However, Still’s time at Southampton has seen his stock drop somewhat. The 33-year-old was sacked after only 16 games in charge, having struggled to translate his success from his time at Reims and Lens.  

His time on the south coast was a disappointment but Still is very young and has certainly shown enough promise in the dugout.

No matter what happens with his career, managing West Ham is not the agenda.

Still says he loves West Ham too much

Speaking to Capital Football, Still said the fact he loves the Hammers too much means he’s unlikely to ever coach them. 

“I don’t think I could do it because I’m too emotionally attached to the club,” he said.

“I want them to win and I want them to win as much as they can.

“I’ll focus on my career and what I can do anywhere else.” 

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Still. At only 33, there’s still plenty of time to put what happened at Saints behind him.

It remains to be seen if West Ham do ever come calling for him – which would certainly put what he’s saying to the test. Quite how one rejects the team they support is up for debate… 

Previously, David Sullivan has suggested that West Ham would be willing to appoint Still as manager at some point in his career, but that he was seen as too much of a gamble back in 2024. 

Supporters might actually enjoy a fan managing the club, as long as they are good enough.

Still’s progress in the dugout has not been linear and he would surely need to rebuild before any Premier League club considers appointing him, but it would be foolish to write him off entirely at this relatively early stage of his career.