Graham Potter has spoken out after taking over as West Ham boss following the departure of Julen Lopetegui. The 49-year-old returns to the dugout 21 months after his nightmare tenure at Chelsea came to an end.
Potter, who excelled as Brighton boss following successful spells with Swansea and Swedish club Ostersunds, has been handed a two-and-a-half-year deal at the London Stadium.
And his first match for his new employers will come when the Hammers travel to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup on Friday evening.
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“I am delighted to be here,” Potter explained after his appointment was confirmed. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.
“My conversations with the chairman and the board have been very positive and constructive. We share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success.
“And we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the club forward in the medium to long-term.”
According to The Guardian, Potter was interviewed by West Ham majority shareholder David Sullivan for the first time on Monday afternoon.
And by the end of the conversation, the former Chelsea boss had been asked to take over in east London.
The Hammers had intended to hand Potter a six-month contract, with Sullivan eventually yielding to the manager’s demands by giving him a much lengthier deal.
Potter will bring in his former Chelsea assistants Bruno Saltor and Billy Reid, who both followed the Solihull-born coach from Brighton to Stamford Bridge. And he will also welcome Narcis Pelach into his backroom set-up after the 36-year-old lost his job as Stoke boss at the end of last year.
Potter, who was linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate’s departure in the summer, takes over a Hammers side who are 14th in the Premier League table after winning just six of their 20 top flight matches this season.
And the Englishman added: “West Ham United is a huge club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world.
“I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023 and it was clear that this is a club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.
“The club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on.
“You don’t win a European trophy by fluke - there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen. And the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a club that the supporters can be proud of.”
