West Ham fight back from 3-0 down to draw at Cardiff under new boss Parker

West Ham drew 3-3 at Cardiff on Wednesday night in Scott Parker's first match since returning to the club as head coach, his side fighting back from three goals behind, according to Sky Sports Football.

Cardiff raced into a commanding lead through a first-half hat-trick from Jack Moylan, putting Parker's reign in immediate jeopardy.

West Ham responded after the break and eventually levelled when Max Kilman scored with eight minutes remaining, securing a point on a dramatic night in south Wales.

Parker had been confirmed as West Ham's head coach earlier that Wednesday, signing a two-and-a-half year contract to replace Nuno Espirito Santo, who was sacked on the Tuesday.

The appointment followed an underwhelming start to the Championship campaign under the Portuguese, with West Ham having lost back-to-back games and sitting eighth in the table before his departure.

Parker, a former West Ham midfielder who made more than 100 appearances for the club between 2007 and 2011 and was named player of the year three times in a row, described the move as deeply personal.

"It is a very proud moment for me to step into this role and return to a club that means so much to me and my family," he said, according to Yahoo Sports.

He added: "(I have) a lot of very fond memories of my time here – four years of probably the best football I played in my career. There was a warmth, a love, a feeling that I probably didn't have anywhere else."

Parker also spoke of the scale of the task ahead in a division he knows well. "I've been in this division three times and I've got out of this division three times. This is a tough division, there is absolutely no denying it. And I will use every ounce of my experience, every ounce of my knowledge," he said.

His last promotion came with Burnley, though that return to the Premier League ended in relegation, with Parker leaving the Clarets in April after the drop was confirmed.

He has also managed Fulham, Bournemouth and Club Brugge, and will be assisted at West Ham by first-team coaches Steve Potts, Gerard Prenderville and Billy Lepine, while working closely with former team-mate Mark Noble.

West Ham's interim chief executive, Karim Virani, said the board had been unanimous in its choice. "We are delighted to welcome Scott and his family back to the club. He is someone who is held in high regard at West Ham United and throughout the game, and he was the unanimous choice of the board to become our new head coach," Virani said.

Virani added that Parker brought "fantastic experience and pedigree across an outstanding playing and coaching career, a clear and proven track record of success as a head coach in the EFL Championship, and a deep understanding of West Ham United, its identity and our loyal and passionate fanbase."

The comeback at Cardiff will offer some encouragement despite the dropped points, with West Ham showing the resilience to claw back a three-goal deficit on the night their new head coach took charge for the first time.