Since Slaven Bilic arrived at West Ham nearly two years ago, he’s helped mastermind the Hammers’ best Premier League season last year and while this year’s not going so well, we’re still in a comfortable position.
The Croatian spent time in east London as a player and is now succeeding as a manager, offering some much-needed enthusiasm and passion in the dugout which we had lacked in the years prior.
There are many layers and nuances to Bilic, and here are a number of things you may not have known about our manager.
Slaven Bilic has a law degree
Bilic has always been a well-educated man and in his early years he picked up a Law degree.
Soft spoken with an iron fist, Bilic will command the room’s attention.
He has his ex-wifes name tattooed on him
It’s true. Slav has his former lover’s name, Andrijana, tattooed on his wrist.
Not the smartest move in hindsight.
Bilic is multilingual
Having a big squad of global talents, speaking a number of languages works.
As well as speaking his native Croatian and English, Bilic can speak both German and Italian fluently.
He reads psychology books
A player’s manager, Bilic has read up on psychology to give him a better chance of understanding and dealing with his players.
He plays rock music
He plays rhythm guitar in Croatian rock group Rawbau.