|
The Latest member is pulling up some trees in the Academy, good luck Freddie !
Freddie Potts: Inspired by Rice and wanting to follow in family’s footsteps
It is rare for three close members of the same family to play for West Ham United.
But it would not be a surprise if Freddie Potts followed in the footsteps of his older brother and father.
The 17-year-old is the son of Steve Potts, the two-time Hammer of the Year and current under-23s coach, and brother to Luton Town defender Dan Potts, who won a Young Hammer of the Year award. The duo made a combined total of 519 appearances for the club — and it won’t be long before Freddie adds to that.
The young midfielder has been at West Ham since he was six. In June, Potts signed a three-year deal until the summer of 2024. After signing his first professional contract, the youngster spoke about looking up to Declan Rice and wanting to make his family proud.
With Dmitri Halajko at the helm for the under-23s and Kevin Keen the lead coach for the under-18s, West Ham are nurturing their academy in a way where there is an obvious path to the first team.
The latest prodigious talent off the production line certainly appears to be Potts, a holding midfielder who has already impressed David Moyes and his coaching staff.
When the under-23s reported back for pre-season training in the summer, they had to do a 1km time-trial run and Potts was the fittest among his group. The young midfielder has trained with the first team on a few occasions and played in one of the internal games at the London Stadium in July.
When the first team returned from their training camp in St Andrews, Moyes and his coaching staff asked who from the youth team had impressed. Potts’ name was mentioned which led to the midfielder playing 45 minutes in the pre-season draw at Leyton Orient.
Potts has impressed staff with his maturity and dedication. He is known for often being the first on the training ground and will stay behind after sessions. Potts’ strengths are his ability to read the game, composure and ball retention. He is also capable of playing at centre-back and scored from this position during a set piece in the 3-1 win over Leicester City under-23s in March.
Last season, the midfielder made 27 appearances in all competitions for the under-18s and under-23s. He also impressed in the wins against Luton Town and Norwich City in the FA Youth Cup with his on-field leadership. Although West Ham lost to Arsenal in the fifth round, it was the first time they had reached that stage of the competition since 2011-12.
It says a lot about Potts’ development that he only needed one year of his initial scholarship deal to convince coaches to commit his long-term future to the club. The last time he played a league game for the under-18s was their 4-0 defeat by Fulham in March.
It is no surprise Potts has been fast-tracked to the under-23s. It was during his first training session with the under-23s that he left a lasting impression.
The youngster was earning a reputation for being advanced for his age group. When players from the under-18s are invited to train with the under-23s, some will occasionally find the experience a huge step up. But Potts adapted seamlessly and impressed staff with how vocal he was. After a few more sessions, he was considered one of the promising prospects in the group.
Being the son of Steve Potts brings huge expectations but the midfield does not expect an easy ride, or favouritism.
From a young age, Potts has always been sporty — playing basketball for Marshalls Park. In January 2017, Michail Antonio was in attendance for the PlayStation Schools’ Cup fixture between Marshalls Park under-13s and Bower Park School. Potts scored twice in the 3-2 win and also beat Antonio 1-0 on the video game FIFA 17.
Four years later, the youngster would be training alongside the in-form West Ham forward. Aside from Potts, there is another young player in the academy who looks set for a bright future. Divin Mubama is a highly-rated striker who has been capped for England Under-17s. Last season he scored 11 goals in 25 cup and league appearances for the under-18s.
When Keen’s side beat QPR under-18s 10-0 in a pre-season friendly in September 2020, Mubama scored four goals. The young forward, who recently turned 17, is yet to sign a professional deal and staff will hope he also commits his long-term future to the club.
It has been a promising time for the academy with Potts and Mubama’s team-mates earning international recognition. Sonny Perkins scored his first goal for England under-18 in their 3-0 win over Russia, while Jamal Baptiste played for England under-19s in their recent fixtures against France and Mexico. West Ham’s under-18s captain, Michael Forbes, played for Northern Ireland Under-19s in their 2-0 defeat by the Czech Republic.
There is genuine buzz around the young players coming through.
It is not often you will find three close family members playing for the same club, but given the special connection between the Potts family and West Ham, the latest player from their household could be the most exciting.
|
