West Ham United have confirmed the appointment of Graham Potter as their new head coach.
The 49-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year contract and arrives at the London Stadium following the dismissal of Julen Lopetegui on Wednesday.
Potter returns to management for the first time since he was sacked by Chelsea in April 2023 after less than seven months in charge at Stamford Bridge.
The Solihull-born boss takes over a West Ham side that currently sit 14th in the Premier League table after winning just six games out of 20 under Lopetegui, leaving them seven points above the relegation zone and 10 points behind the top seven.
West Ham have confirmed that Potter will take charge of his first game as manager when the Hammers travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening.
Ready to get started 👊 pic.twitter.com/AL21dQwFOL
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 9, 2025
"Huge club" West Ham the "right fit" for Potter
Speaking to the West Ham's official website following confirmation of his appointment, Potter said: "I am delighted to be here. 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.
"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."
© Imago
A closer look at Graham Potter's managerial record
After hanging up his boots in 2005, Potter began his coaching career six years later in Sweden and built his reputation as one of Europe's most promising managers by overseeing Ostersunds FK's remarkable rise from the fourth tier to the top flight.
As well as steering the club to three promotions in five years, including two lower-league title triumphs, Potter won 51% of his 249 games in charge of Ostersunds and the club's first-ever Svenska Cupen (Swedish Cup) in his penultimate season.
Potter made enough of an impression for Swansea to appoint him as their new head coach in 2018, and he won 21, drew 11 and lost 19 of his 51 matches in charge of the Championship outfit during his one and only season in South Wales.
Despite being offered a new deal to remain at Swansea, Potter opted to join Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion in 2019 and guided the Seagulls to a ninth-placed finish - the club's highest ever top-flight finish - in his final season at the club, after ending the previous two campaigns in 15th and 16th.
Potter only won 31.1% of his matches at Brighton - winning 42, drawing 46 and losing 47 of his 135 games - but his ability to develop young players and adopt an attractive brand of football caught the eye of Chelsea, who appointed him as their new boss in September 2022.
However, Potter was sacked less than seven months into his reign at Stamford Bridge after winning 12, drawing eight and losing 11 of his 31 matches across all competitions.
Overall, Potter has taken charge of 466 matches with four different clubs and has a 43.35% win rate after winning 202, drawing 125 and losing 139.
Oliver Thomas
