While Callum Marshall, George Earthy and Patrick Kelly all returned to West Ham United with silver in their suitcases, Freddie Potts’ success on loan at Portsmouth cannot be quantified in winners’ medals or Young Player of the Year gongs.
Callum Marshall was the standout in Huddersfield’s poor campaign. The Terriers’ second-highest goalscorer, as well as their brightest youngster.
Patrick Kelly helped Doncaster Rovers win League Two, becoming a fan favourite along the way for an uncompromising, fearless approach which belied his age. George Earthy impressed to such an extent at Bristol City, meanwhile, that Graham Potter is promising the England Under-21 international a chance during West Ham United’s pre-season preparations.
Earthy, like Marshall, arrives back at Rush Green with a Young Player of the Year award under his belt.
But while Freddie Potts was not an award-winner or a league champion at Portsmouth, the glowing praise afforded to him by Pompey boss John Mousinho is proof enough of the impact he left at Fratton Park.
West Ham loanee Freddie Potts in action during Portsmouth FC v Swansea City AFC - Sky Bet Championship
Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images
John Mousinho believes Freddie Potts will challenge at West Ham United after Portsmouth spell
Portsmouth returned to the Championship after a 12-year absence in 2024/25. Thanks in part to Potts’ eye-catching performances in the centre of the park, they are sticking around too.
An outstanding final few weeks ensured that Pompey would finish five points and five places above the drop zone. Potts started 35 of 46 second-tier games, meanwhile. He starred in big wins over play-off semi-finalists Coventry and Bristol City, not to mention eventual champions Leeds United.
The standing ovation given to him by the Pompey faithful, during the final home game of the season, spoke volumes. No wonder head coach John Mousinho is keen to welcome Freddie Potts back, should the opportunity arise.
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A point he reiterated as the rest of Portsmouth’s squad returned for pre-season training this week.
‘I don’t know if we can get Freddie back,” Mousinho tells The News, believing that the door is at least somewhat ajar. “I wouldn’t rule it out completely.”
As things stand, though, Mousinho believes that Potts will join Earthy in challenging for a first-team role under Graham Potter.
Former captain and now sporting director Mark Noble believes this is a ‘massive’ summer for Potts. Impress against Grasshoppers, Man United, Everton, Bournemouth and Lille, and a senior berth could be his. Especially if both Guido Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez say their goodbyes.
“It’s not one we are focused on now because Freddie is going to be with the first-team at West Ham,” Mousinho adds. “The first thing for Fred to think about is trying to get into their team, which is definitely possible off the back of the season he had last year.
“If, at some point, Fred becomes available then we will definitely be at the other end of the phone and very, very willing.
“I wouldn’t 100 per cent rule it out, even if it is far less likely than it was this time last year. I don’t think there’s the same level of expectation for Fred to actually go out this year. If it happens, it happens, but I don’t think there’s that expectation.”
Graham Potter delighted by Potts’ Portsmouth success
Still only 21, Potts joined West Ham’s academy at the age of six. He was also part of the squad which defeated Fiorentina in the 2023 Europa Conference League final, albeit a debut in England’s top-flight has remained elusive so far. That could soon change.
Because Graham Potter is backing Freddie Potts to return stronger and more mature on the back of successive loan spells at Wycombe and Portsmouth.
He’s aced League One, stood out in the Championship. The natural next step, then, is an obvious one.
“Freddie has had a couple of really good loans, successful loans, which I think is important for a player,” Potter told the official West Ham website at the end of May. “It’s really important to have that accumulation of games, those minutes.
“We do a great job in terms of the Academy and development and have good programme internally, but sometimes you need to go out and play as well and he’s done that and he’s had the benefit of that.
“So we’re looking forward to him finishing the season off strong and then coming back and being part of our group in pre-season.”