West Ham United have appointed Graham Potter as their new head coach following the dismissal of Julen Lopetegui, Afrosport reports.
Potter put pen to paper a two-year deal that will run till 2027 as he will be jumping into action immediately as West Ham travel to Villa Park to take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday.
Potter has been without a job since been sacked by Chelsea in 2023 having been one of the options speculated for the England job that Thomas Tuchel won.
The Englishman expressed his gladness on getting the job, revealing that the patient wait for a club has finally paid off as he feels the job is the right fit for him.
The 49-year-old also believes that the board’s objective and his allingns as he aims to take the club to the very top. He also acknowledged the healthy relationship he shares with the Club’s chairman.
“I am delighted to be here,” Potter said per the West Ham website. “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.”
Potter putting pen to paper 🖋️ pic.twitter.com/By1RZrPOqb
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 9, 2025
The East London club is currently 14th in the Premier League standings, level on points with Manchester United in 13th, after six wins from 20 games.
