It has been a summer of celebration in the Potts household.
Not only was Freddie Potts part of the West Ham United squad that achieved greatness, securing the UEFA Europa Conference League with a 2-1 victory in Prague over ACF Fiorentina, but older brother Dan also had his own reasons to party.
The Academy of Football graduate was crucial to Luton Town’s success in the EFL Championship play-off final, slotting home the winning penalty against Coventry City to take The Hatters into the Premier League for the very first time.
“We were all buzzing for my brother,” Freddie told whufc.com. “That was the highlight of the summer for us, with Dan getting that penalty to get them into the Premier League.
“For me, my happiest moment of the last few weeks was watching him at Wembley Stadium, putting that penalty away, and then the non-stop celebrations that came after that. When I get the chance, I can’t wait to go up to Kenilworth Road and watch him play in the Premier League.”
Dan Potts’ success came ten days prior to Freddie’s involvement in David Moyes’ team at the Fortuna Arena. On the bench alongside fellow development team Divin Mubama, and among a host of Academy graduates, the 19-year-old lived every single emotion; both as a player and as a lifelong fan.
It was an evening that will not only live with Potts forever but will also form the base for his career going forward.
He reflected: “That was the best night of my career so far. Just to be around it, to be on the bench and in the celebrations, it was so special, and it was something I will cherish forever.
“For my development too, to see how these senior players reacted to different situations in a final – especially a European final – it was unique and a brilliant learning point for me. My involvement in that campaign last year was massive for me. To be around a European competition was big and then to win…you could see what it meant to everyone, including the fans.
“To see the preparations that go into that was brilliant for me and the rest of the young players. We can really learn from that and it’s something I can take going forward into the rest of my career.”
And so, a few weeks off for summer, and Potts is ready to go again. He was back in for pre-season training on Thursday, first linking up with Mark Robson’s development team at Rush Green in a comprehensive session, focusing on fitness and technique.
The midfielder put the hard work in during the off-season too. So much is on the line as Potts looks to make an impression.
“The summer was good. I kept ticking over and did something every single day, physically, because I didn’t want to come off of it and then not be right for pre-season. I got away for a holiday, which was really nice, but most of the time I was just preparing for this season. That involved some running and gym work.
“When you’re this age, in this position, you haven’t made it. This season is about hopefully putting a stamp on the first team for me. I want to really push on because this is a massive opportunity for me in pre-season and I want to make the most of it.
“Everyone in this group sees this pre-season as an opportunity. There are games coming up, such as Boreham Wood on Monday, that everyone in the U21s wants to be involved in. Then there’s the tour to Australia as well, which is another big chance, and hopefully a few of us can get on board with that as well. With so many opportunities coming up, pre-season is so important.”
It is not just the on-field ability that comes into consideration when a player is called up to play senior football. Their attitude, personality and character in the changing room matters too.
Potts know this. His dad, Steve, is former Hammer of the Year who spent 17 years in the first team. Brother Dan is now a Premier League player. The young midfielder has a good idea of what he needs to do to make an impact at Rush Green, on manager David Moyes and the first team players.
“For me personally, I need to express myself,” he said. “I’m not going to shy away from that just because I’m a young player, particularly because I was around the first team in the last couple of months at the end of last season. I want to show what I’m about and make sure I take those opportunities.
“You’ve got to earn the respect of the players in that first-team dressing room. If you get into that group off the pitch, then you can earn that respect and then things might also come a bit easier on the pitch too. Holding your own is a massive part of being in the first team as a young player. That’s not something I’m going to shy away from. I want to learn from everyone in the group and make the most of it.”
With so many first team players still enjoying their off-season break, Potts may get his first opportunity of pre-season on Monday evening away to National League side Boreham Wood.
It is a ground Potts has played at before for the development team. Should the chance come to do so in the first team, he is eager to make the most of it.
“If I’m asked to play at Boreham Wood, I need to make sure I just play my game. I won’t take that opportunity for granted if it comes. I want to express my personality on the pitch and make sure I make an impression and show the boss I can play in the West Ham first team.
“As a 19-year-old, I’ve been in the U21s for a couple of years and I feel like I’m ready for first team football. I want to play first team football and, as a West Ham fan, there is no place I want to do that more than at this football club.”
