EPL: West Ham Appoints Former Chelsea Boss Graham Potter as Head Coach

“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 has 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.”

Potter will be joined at West Ham by his Assistant Coach, Bruno, and first-team coaches Billy Reid and Narcís Pèlach, among others.

Considered one of the brightest coaching minds in English football, Potter has an academic background, having earned a Master’s degree after a 14-year playing career with clubs such as Birmingham City, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion, and Stoke City.

Born in Solihull, Potter began his coaching career with university teams before taking his first managerial role at Östersund in 2010.

There, he led the Swedish club through an incredible run of three promotions in five seasons to the top flight, won the Swedish Cup, and reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, famously defeating Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Potter’s success in Scandinavia led Swansea to appoint him in the summer of 2018. After a strong season in South Wales, he moved to Brighton the following year, guiding the Seagulls to their highest-ever Premier League finish, securing ninth place in the 2020/21 season.

Following his achievements on the south coast, Potter joined Chelsea in September 2022, before leaving Stamford Bridge in April 2023. After spending 18 months studying the game and working in the media, he is now ready to return to coaching with West Ham.

On Wednesday, the club parted ways with former manager Julen Lopetegui after just 22 games in charge. A 4-1 loss to champions Manchester City on Saturday was the final straw for club officials.

Currently, the Hammers sit 14th in the EPL table, seven points above the relegation zone, with just six wins in 20 league matches under Lopetegui’s tenure.