Billy McKinlay in July 2023

Billy McKinlay - First Team Coach

Born: 22 April 1969
Joined West Ham: 1 July 2021

Billy McKinlay linked up with the Hammers as one of David Moyes' assistants for a second time in the summer of 2021, having initially joined West Ham United shortly after Moyes' appointment as the Club's manager first time around in November 2017.

Former Dundee United, Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City midfielder McKinlay, who was born in Glasgow in April 1969, worked with Moyes at both Real Sociedad and Sunderland.

A product of the same Dundee United youth system which produced Christian Dailly, McKinlay made his first-team debut as a teenager and played in the 1988 Scottish Cup final defeat by Frank McAvennie's Celtic at the age of 19.

He went on to win 29 caps for Scotland as a player, appearing at Euro 96 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals.

McKinlay later moved into coaching, first at Fulham, then as Northern Ireland's assistant manager, and later at Watford, where he moved up to become head coach in September 2014. However, shortly afterwards the Hornets brought in Slavisa Jokanovic to the role and McKinlay became part of Moyes' team at Spanish club Real Sociedad.

A spell as manager of Norwegian top-flight club Stabaek followed in 2015 before he moved back alongside Moyes at Sunderland.

He left the Hammers, alongside Moyes in the summer of 2018, later becoming assistant manager to Michael O'Neill at Stoke City, before returning to east London in 2021.