Graham Potter Appointed West Ham United's New Head Coach

Graham Potter returns to the Premier League as West Ham United's new manager, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Hammers.

Premier League club West Ham United has announced the appointment of Graham Potter as its new head coach. Potter replaces Julen Lopetegui, who was relieved of his duties on Wednesday. The 47-year-old Potter has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Hammers.

Potter's first match in charge of West Ham will be an FA Cup clash against Aston Villa on Friday night. He will have limited time to prepare his new team for the encounter, but will be eager to make a positive impact from the outset. West Ham will be hoping that Potter's arrival can help turn around their fortunes and push the team up the Premier League table.

Graham Potter has been appointed as the new manager of West Ham United, marking his return to the Premier League after a brief stint away. The 49-year-old had been linked to the England national team job, which ultimately went to Thomas Tuchel, but will now take the reins at the East London club.

Potter's managerial career has been marked by notable successes, including his time at Ostersund in Sweden, Swansea, and Brighton. His impressive spell at Brighton ultimately led to him being appointed as Chelsea's manager, a role he held until his departure in April 2023. This new appointment at West Ham will be Potter's first managerial role since leaving Chelsea.

The announcement of Potter's appointment comes on the heels of West Ham's confirmation that Julen Lopetegui would be leaving the club. Lopetegui's tenure at West Ham was brief, lasting only seven months after he signed a two-year deal in May to replace David Moyes. West Ham currently sits 14th in the Premier League standings, level on points with Manchester United, having secured six wins from 20 games.

“I am delighted to be here,” said Potter. “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.

West Ham United is delighted to welcome Graham Potter as the Club’s new Head Coach ⚒️

— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 9, 2025

“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.”