With every appearance Freddie Potts makes during West Ham United’s pre-season preparations, his chances of a Premier League role under Graham Potter grow.
During a summer in which some of the club’s fringe players and youngsters have seized the chance to impress – Callum Marshall scored a stunner against Grasshopper Zurich while Luis Guilherme has impressed at wing-back – an academy graduate has been arguably the biggest plus point.
Potts was a ‘class act’ as West Ham beat Everton in Chicago; Dictating play from his deep-lying midfield role while diving into a few crunching tackles. The Barking-born Freddie Potts grew up watching former West Ham United captain Mark Noble, and the legend-turned-sporting-director’s influence is clear to see.
The admiration goes both ways too. Noble praised Potts, and not for the first time, when the Hammers returned to the UK last week.
But, speaking to the club’s official website ahead of Saturday’s Premier League opener away at Sunderland, Potts admitted that the man currently wearing the armband – one Jarrod Bowen – is someone he looks up to in the modern-day roster.
Freddie Potts calls West Ham United captain Jarrod Bowen a ‘great role model’
To paraphrase Niclas Fullkrug, few epitomise West Ham’s new-found team spirit better than Bowen.
The skipper led by example again as the Hammers closed off their pre-season preparations with a late equaliser and a penalty shoot-out victory over Lille.
Freddie Potts held his own against the Ligue 1 giants, too. His third start in a row across the summer.
“I’ve loved being a part of it in pre-season, but there’s obviously still a lot I can learn,” says the 21-year-old former Portsmouth loanee. “The main thing for me is to keep learning off the players who have played at the highest level, and I’m really enjoying that at the moment.
“I’m really enjoying the test of stepping up. I’ll always back myself, no matter what team I go into, but playing with some of the guys here isn’t something you can take lightly. I really want to prove myself and be a part of it for the whole of this season.
“[Jarrod Bowen] is a great role model to have, and a great example for anyone my age. To have someone like him to learn from on and off the pitch is great, and it’s a joy to share a pitch with him.”
Potts could replace Edson Alvarez in Graham Potter’s team
Potts likens himself to Edson Alvarez, sharing the Mexican’s preference for a deep-lying role in front of the back four.
After West Ham made Alvarez available for transfer – Hammers News understands that Emerson Palmieri, Nayef Aguerd and even Tomas Soucek could all still be sold this month – Potts will fancy his chances of stepping into the former Ajax giant’s shoes.
“It’s probably been the most special pre-season I’ve had in terms of the opportunities I’ve been given and the playing time I’ve had,” Potts adds.
“It’s been my dream since I was a kid to be part of the West Ham first team, and to be around this squad is obviously something I’ve wanted my whole life.
“It’s not going to be a period I forget for sure, but I want to keep learning and looking forward. As a team, I think we’re feeling good, and winning can only help that, like we’ve done today.
“There have been a lot of positives in terms of performances and results this pre-season, and we’ve come through another good test against Lille. They played in the Champions League last year, but we’ve got there on penalties, and that can only be good for me and the team.”
