West Ham United have announced the appointment of Graham Potter as their new head coach.
The 49-year-old, who previously managed Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea, returns to the Premier League after a 21-month absence.
Potter has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the club, taking over from Julen Lopetegui, who was dismissed on Wednesday after just 20 matches in charge.
Speaking to West Ham’s official website, Potter said: “It was important to me to wait for the right opportunity, one that felt right for me, and for a club that I believe I can contribute to. That is how I feel about West Ham United”
Potter will be joined by Bruno (assistant coach), Billy Reid (first-team coach), and Narcis Pelach (first-team coach). Goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero will remain in his current role.
Potter’s playing career spanned 13 years, mostly in the Football League as a full-back for clubs like Birmingham City, Stoke City, and West Bromwich Albion.
He made eight Premier League appearances for Southampton during the 1996/97 season, including in the famous 6-3 win over Manchester United.
After retiring in 2005, Potter transitioned to a career in football management, starting as a football development manager at Hull University.
He also had a stint as the technical director of the university’s sports program.
Potter’s first senior managerial role came in December 2010 at Swedish fourth-tier side Östersunds, where he led the club to consecutive promotions and into the top flight by 2015.
His team won the Swedish Cup in 2017 and qualified for the Europa League, where they reached the last 32, being eliminated by Arsenal.
Former head coach Julen Lopetegui.
In May 2019 he to Brighton where he transformed the team’s style of play.
Under his guidance, Brighton secured a 15th-place finish in their first Premier League season, a record they later matched in 2020/21.
The 2021/22 season marked a turning point, with Brighton finishing 9th, and the 2022/23 campaign saw them enjoy their best start to a Premier League season.
However, his tenure at Chelsea was less successful, with the club sacking him after a string of poor results left them 11th in the Premier League.
