Graham Potter appointed as West Ham head coach

Potter, 49, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the London-based club and faces the immediate challenge of guiding the team up the Premier League table.

Lopetegui's tenure at West Ham came to an end on Wednesday afternoon after heavy defeats to Manchester City and Liverpool.

The Spaniard, who replaced David Moyes in May, left the club languishing in 14th place, though seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Potter, who previously managed Brighton and Chelsea, earned widespread praise for his work at Brighton, where he established the club as a competitive force in the Premier League.

However, his stint at Chelsea was less successful, and he has been out of management for nearly 21 months.

"I am delighted to be here," Potter told West Ham's media.

"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 was joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.

"West Ham 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."

The new head coach's first test will come quickly, with West Ham set to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday, 10 January.

With limited time to work with the squad, Potter will need to rely on his tactical acumen to make an immediate impact. 

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