West Ham head coach Graham Potter has described being sacked by Chelsea as the “best thing that happened to me” ahead of the Premier League clash between the two sides on Monday.
Potter replaced Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea in September 2022 but his tenure proved to be ill-fated, lasting just seven months before being dismissed with the team in the bottom half of the table.
“You know in a football life you’re going to get ups and downs,” Potter said when asked about the stint.
“I didn’t want to lose my job. But at the same time I look back now and maybe it’s the best thing that happened to me.
“Maybe the next 10 to 20 years is going to be great because of the experience I’ve had. I just look at it as a learning experience. I’ve got no bad feelings towards Chelsea, I’ve still got a lot of good relationships with the people there.”
Potter replaced Julen Lopetegui at West Ham in January, his first job after leaving the west London club. Since his arrival, West Ham have earned four points in three games having beaten Fulham, lost to Crystal Palace and drawn with Aston Villa.
“I’m just looking forward to the journey I’m on now with West Ham at this great club and getting that connection with the supporters, working with the team and building something that we’re really excited about and proud about here,” Potter said.
West Ham are 14th in the standings with 27 points. Chelsea sit sixth having struggled for form in the league, winning one of their last seven games.
