(MENAFN- IANS) London, Jan 9 (IANS) West Ham United have announced the appointment of Graham Potter as their new head coach on a two-and-a-half year contract. He replaced Julen Lopetegui, who was dismissed by the club on Wednesday after just 20 matches in charge.
Potter will take charge of his new team for the first time when West ham travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening. His first Premier League match with West Ham will be a London derby on January 14 at home to Fulham. He will be joined at the Hammers by Bruno (Assistant Coach), Billy Reid (First-Team Coach) and Narcis Pelach (First-Team Coach).
The 49-year-old former Brighton & Hove Albion and Chelsea head coach returned to the Premier League after a 21-month absence, after leaving his last role at Chelsea in April 2023.
"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," Potter said in a statement.
“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.
Potter had a 13-year playing career, mostly spent in the Football League as a full-back with clubs including Birmingham City, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion. He made eight Premier League appearances for Southampton in 1996/97, playing in a famous 6-3 win over Manchester United.
After finishing his playing career in 2005 Potter became a football development manager at Hull University, with a spell on secondment as the technical director of Ghana's women's team at the 2007 World Cup.
He began his coaching career with university students before taking his first managerial role at Ostersund in 2010. He led the Swedish club on an incredible run of three promotions in five seasons to the top flight, won the Swedish Cup and reached the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, defeating Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
In June 2018, Potter returned to the UK to take charge of Swansea City, who had just been relegated from the Premier League. He then took charge at Brighton a year later and led the Seagulls to a then record-high Premier League finish of ninth in 2020/21.
Having impressed with both his results and style on the south coast, Potter moved to Chelsea in September 2022, before departing Stamford Bridge in April 2023.
West Ham are currently 14th in the Premier League table, seven points above the relegation zone.
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