Following his appointment as West Ham United Head Coach, we take a photographic journey through Graham Potter’s glittering career in football, that started in the trainee ranks at Birmingham City.
Born in Solihull, in the West Midlands, the former defender worked his way up at the Blues in the early 1990s, and after a loan spell at Wycombe Wanderers, moved on to Stoke City in 1993.
A switch to Premier League Southampton followed three years later, around the same time Potter earned international recognition at England U21 level, before he spent three years as a West Bromwich Albion player, up to the turn of the 21st century.
The now 49-year-old spent time on loan at Northampton Town and Reading while at the Hawthorns, and finished his playing days with stints at York City, Boston United, Shrewsbury Town and Macclesfield Town, ahead of hanging up his boots in 2005.
Rather than take on a different occupation or remain at a club as a coach upon his retirement, Potter focused on furthering his education to prepare himself for a career in coaching, earning a degree in social sciences from the Open University before undertaking a master’s degree in leadership and emotional intelligence at Leeds Metropolitan University.
It was at the latter institution he picked up some of his earliest coaching experience, working with the university’s Leeds Carnegie and Combined Universities sides, before later acting as football development manager for the University of Hull and technical director for the Ghanaian national women’s team at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Potter’s first senior managerial appointment yielded significant success at Scandinavian outfit Östersund, where he spearheaded three promotions in five years, won the Swedish Cup and qualified for the UEFA Europa League, where they famously beat Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates Stadium in the round of 32 second leg, before ultimately going down on aggregate.
After being twice voted Sweden’s Manager of the Year, Potter was snapped up by Swansea City in June 2018, where he spent one season before enjoying three years at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
Further success on the south coast - including record-high finishes and points totals - prompted his appointment as Chelsea head coach in September 2022, where he oversaw UEFA Champions League wins over AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund before departing Stamford Bridge in April 2023.
Since then, he has continued his coaching education and also provided insightful and educated punditry on television and radio.
Check out the images from Potter’s life in football so far in the gallery above.
Watch the new Head Coach's 's first home game against Fulham on Tuesday night. Tickets for Adults start from £20 - buy now HERE.
