If Graham Potter had any doubts about whether Freddie Potts was ready to mix it against Premier League opposition, a fine showing during West Ham’s 2-1 Summer Series victory over Everton should have dispelled those reservations.
The Hammers fans tuning into Wednesday’s clash at Soldier Field in Chicago were treated to the full, unfiltered Freddie Potts experience.
Just four days after Potts caught the eye against Manchester United in a brief cameo showing off the bench, the homegrown midfielder earned himself a spot in Graham Potter’s first XI.
And, who knows, perhaps he will find himself on the team sheet again when the new Premier League campaign kicks off versus Sunderland in mid-August.
Potts likens himself to a young Edson Alvarez. And, with the Mexico international behind schedule due to his involvement in a victorious CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign, a standout showing in Illinois puts the 21-year-old in a very good place to fight for first-team opportunities when the competitive stuff gets going.
Freddie Potts hoping for West Ham United breakthrough after Everton win
On a night when Lucas Paqueta and Niclas Fullkrug found the net, West Ham coming from behind after Idrissa Gana Gueye opened the scoring, a host of fringe players impressed; Callum Marshall, Luis Guilherme and Freddie Potts standouts.
Marshall led the line with a ferocious intensity, Guilherme made things happen off the bench, while Potts both dictated play and threw himself into a couple of wince-inducing 50/50s from his role as the deep-lying playmaker in Graham Potter’s 3-5-1-1 formation.
Returning to his boyhood club after playing nearly 40 matches on loan for Portsmouth last season, Potts insists that there is still a whole lot more to come.
“Every pre-season I go into, I try and showcase my ability, what I’m about and what I can bring to the team,” says the Barking-born midfielder, who joined the Hammers academy at the age of six.
“I’ve been given two opportunities not to do so [against Man United and Everton], and I’m happy I’m with the first-team. After the two loan spells I’ve had, now is the perfect opportunity to show what I can do. I’ve had the two opportunities and tried to showcase what I’m all about.
“I think there’s definitely more to give. Definitely more. I’ve had a season in the Championship now where I have learned a lot.
“Everyone knows it’s a massive step up to the Premier League but this is where I want to play and, as a fan all my life, this is the club I want to play for.
“I feel there’s more to give. I’ve learned a lot in the last couple of years and I want to showcase that. There’s still a lot to learn, and being around the players who are at West Ham now, I couldn’t have asked for a better place to learn.”
Potts says loan spell in the Championship with Portsmouth was so beneficial
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho dreams of re-signing Potts on another short-term deal. The man in charge at Fratton Park knows his desires are likely to go unrequited, however.
After he helped Portsmouth avoid an immediate return to League One, and with Graham Potter promising Potts that chances will come his way, the son of Hammers coach Steve Potts seems to be a man on the verge of a breakout season at the highest level.
“I learned the most that I learned in my career last year,” Potts adds. “It was a massive step for me to go into the Championship. Everyone knows it’s a big league, a competitive league, so to have 37 games under my belt at Portsmouth was a massive part of my development.
“I’ve learned how to become a man, especially in midfield. At the end of the day, I want to be playing at West Ham because that’s always been my dream.
“Hopefully, there are more opportunities to come.”
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