Kevin Keen believes West Ham United's next manager must have a strong connection with the club.
Caretaker boss reiterates interest in replacing Grant on full-time basis
Kevin Keen believes West Ham United's next manager must have a strong connection with the club after reiterating his interest in the job.
Following Avram Grant's dismissal on the back of the Hammers' relegation to the Championship, Keen has been placed in caretaker charge for the final game of the season against Sunderland on Sunday.
Keen has been quick to declare his desire to be given an opportunity in the Upton Park hot-seat after working his way through the coaching ranks at the club.
But, even if he is not offered the position by owners David Gold and David Sullivan, he is adamant West Ham need to return to their former traditions.
Family traditions
"For me, I think the next West Ham manager should have a connection and a history with the football club," said Keen.
"I want us to get back to the family traditions of this football club, a way of playing that promotes imagination, creativity but also has that edge of people wanting to play for the club and die for the club.
"Over the last few years with Avram (Grant) and Gianfranco (Zola), the club slightly went a different way and we had a different way of playing and a different ethos.
"I am West Ham through and through. I had nine years as a player and this is my ninth season back coaching.
"If the opportunity was given to me it would be a great honour and I'd love to be able to do it.
"If you had said to me three or four weeks ago that I was an obvious candidate, I think people would have laughed at you.
"But after the way I have conducted myself over the last week, hopefully people have said: 'Actually, he knows what he is doing and what he is talking about, he loves the football club, he has got a vision of the future. Yes, he is a candidate'."
