Freddie Potts: West Ham midfielder realising lifelong dream after Hammers academy graduate breaks into first team

When Freddie Potts starts for West Ham in the Premier League, they don’t lose.

Yes, the sample size is small, their last three games were against Newcastle, Burnley and Bournemouth, and many factors have contributed to West Ham’s turn in form, but Potts is certainly one of them.

For Potts, one of those factors is more “fight”, and he’s certainly had to battle to get himself in the first team. Loans to Wycombe and Portsmouth in the previous two seasons have turned the academy product from more than just a tidy footballer, but a player ready to hack it physically at the top level.

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Since coming into the team against Newcastle, no player has made more tackles for West Ham than Potts (9), and only El Hadji Malick Diouf has won more duels.

Potts is living the dream that thousands of young supporters share. A lifelong fan who joined the club at just six years old and was ball-boy for the last game at Upton Park, playing for West Ham isn’t merely a career choice, it’s personal.

Nuno Espirito Santo has been keen to lower expectations around Potts in recent weeks. But his composure and assuredness on the pitch and in our interview meant I felt like I might have just sat down with a future West Ham captain.

“It means everything to me as a fan of the club,” the 22-year-old said.

“I joined when I was six, and it’s all I’ve ever dreamt about. Working my way up the age groups and following the footsteps of the players who came through the academy.”

He remembers the countless childhood trips to the old Chadwell Heath training ground, long before its renovation, with fondness.

“Every time I drive past it now, I get flashbacks of all the good times,” he said. “It’s such a massive part of my journey. I’ll never forget that place.”

The influence of West Ham’s famous academy, one that produced the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Declan Rice, and Mark Noble, is impossible to ignore.

“When you see the names on the walls, it makes you want to emulate what they’ve done.

“The dream was always to play in the Premier League for West Ham. Doing that now is special.”

Potts wants to emulate ‘Mr West Ham’ Noble

Noble, West Ham’s Premier League appearance record holder and Sporting Director, has been especially influential for Potts.

He said: “Everyone knows him as Mr West Ham. You can see why, because every time he played, he was someone who you can resemble, with love for the club, and every time he played, he did everything.

“That’s something I’m trying to emulate, because at the end of the day, that’s what I want to do. I want to give everything I can, and every time I step out on the pitch, whether it’s at London Stadium or away from the club, I want to do that.

“I feel like with him, there was a connection between him and the fans.”

Potts impressed under Graham Potter in pre-season, starting each of the victories over Everton in Chicago, Bournemouth in Atlanta and Lille at London Stadium.

So it was a surprise to many when he wasn’t selected against Sunderland in the first game of the season.

A lot of players are happy to play it straight when asked about not playing. Not Potts.

“It was difficult,” he admitted. “I thought I’d get more minutes. But when you’re not in the team, you refocus. You think, what do I need to do? I kept my head down and worked even harder.”

How loan spells helped Potts’ rise

West Ham have looked like a different team with Potts in the middle.

He was the best midfielder on the pitch in the 3-1 win over Newcastle, no mean feat coming up against Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, and was awarded the player of the match. Only the end of Tomas Soucek’s boot cost him a perfect day that would’ve included a goal.

He is a player who seems to do the simple things so well. First touch, move the ball forward quickly, sense the danger. The likes of Declan Rice, Scott Parker, Mark Noble and Michael Carrick have done the same in the claret shirt.

Except for goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, Potts has made the most forward passes (42) and successful long passes (9) for his team in their last three matches.

“He played his position with real understanding,” Carrick said that night, adding that Potts’ performance was “disciplined and mature”.

His two loan spells at Wycombe and Portsmouth became defining chapters.

“If I didn’t take those loans, I wouldn’t be where I am,” he revealed. “They taught me so much. Making mistakes on a bigger stage, dealing with pressure, and learning from passionate fan bases.

“They turned me into the person and player I am now.”

He still follows both clubs closely.

“They took me in so well. I owe them a lot,” he said.

Football is woven into the Potts family fabric. His father, Steve Potts, a former West Ham player and now first-team coach, is a unique presence in his development, but Freddie insists the balance is handled correctly.

He said: “We disagreed a lot when he coached the U21s! But now we keep a bit of distance. He knows I’ve got my career, and he lets me get on with it.”

Steve and brother Dan, now at Charlton but who also came through the West Ham academy, remain invaluable sources of advice, but Potts is adamant that nothing is handed to him.

“There’s no special treatment. I’ve had to earn everything like everyone else,” he said.

‘Wilson has been brilliant with me’

Potts speaks glowingly of senior figures in the dressing room, especially Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson, who has become a key mentor.

“Callum’s been brilliant with me,” he revealed. “Speaking to me off the pitch about staying consistent and improving. He’s a great guy and a great leader.”

He believes Wilson is right not to rule himself out of a place in England’s World Cup squad.

“That’s not even a question,” Potts said. “His movement, his finishing, the goals he scores-he should be in the squad.”

West Ham’s season has been eventful. A managerial change, fan protests, and a recent revival, but Potts sees progress and unity.

He said: “We’re more together now. There’s a connection between staff, players, and fans.

“The results are coming, and we’re going into every game with confidence that we can take three points.”

For him personally, the goal is clear.

“I’ve got the shirt now,” he says, “and I want to keep it. It’s what I’ve worked for my whole life.”