Gary O'Neil joined West Ham United from Middlesbrough in the January transfer window of 2011. However, he made just eight Premier League appearances in the second half of that season before an ankle injury ended his campaign. West Ham were relegated, and his ankle problem meant he missed the start of the following season in the Championship.
O'Neil eventually returned to soccer at the end of December and went on to help the Hammers to promotion back to the Premier League via the playoffs. He made 16 regular-season appearances in the Championship that campaign, scoring twice goals and making three assists. He also featured in both playoff semi-final legs against Cardiff City and in the final at Wembley against Blackpool.
During the 2012/13 season, O'Neil made 24 Premier League appearances, scoring once and making three assists. His most notable game was against West Bromwich Albion, where he found the back of the net, set up a goal, and was instrumental in getting the West Brom player Youssouf Mulumbu sent off.
The Hammers finished 10th that season, but O'Neil then departed the club for Queens Park Rangers. He helped QPR to promotion via the Championship playoffs and did the same again with his next club, Norwich City. He would go on to play for Bolton Wanderers and Bristol City before retiring.
Could Gary O'Neil one day manage West Ham United?
A career in coaching then beckoned for O'Neil. His first job was an assistant at Liverpool's U23s. He then worked under Jonathan Woodgate and Scott Parker at AFC Bournemouth. Following the Cherries' 9-0 defeat to Liverpool, Parker was sacked, and O'Neil took over. He guided Bournemouth to survival in the Premier League, but was somewhat unfairly dismissed at the end of the campaign. Although his replacement, Andoni Iraola, has gone on to do an excellent job.
Wolverhampton Wanderers was O'Neil's next job, as he quickly took over after Julen Lopetegui walked out. He did well in his first season at Wolves, helping them finish 14th in the division. However, he was sacked mid-way through the following campaign after a string of poor results. It was always going to be difficult at Wolves as they continued to sell their best players, including Max Kilman and Pedro Neto.
O'Neil was then linked with various Premier League jobs. However, he took his time following his sacking by Wolves in December 2014. He returned to management this January as he replaced Liam Rosenior at Strasbourg. Rosenior had gone on to manage Chelsea following Enzo Maresca's departure. Strasbourg and Chelsea are now sister clubs, so it would be no surprise if O'Neil one day takes charge of the Blues.
As he is a highly rated manager and a former Hammer, he has and will continue to be linked with the job. However, O'Neil would only become West Ham's manager if the time was right. He took his time following his departure from Wolves, and it was wise for him not to take a difficult relegation-threatened job in the Premier League.
It is still early days for O'Neil at Strasbourg, but he has won four out of his six games in charge. The only defeats came against Paris Saint-Germain and Le Havre. O'Neil's next game is against another giant of French soccer, as they face Marseille at the Stade Velodrome tomorrow.