It seems that Graham Potter has already seen enough to make his mind up on the shape of his side next season. The Hammers only returned to work last week and are currently in Germany deep in pre-season training ahead of the first game on Saturday, but the Head Coach has already been reported as offering two youngsters their chance to follow Ollie Scarles into the first team.
Which has been somewhat complicated however for one of them. George Earthy who has an ankle ligament injury now faces an anxious wait. Presumably written before Earthy’s injury, the standard.co.uk claims an exclusive that:
“Graham Potter to give West Ham academy stars a first-team chance next season”: At least Freddie Potts will be elated, having worked so hard, like Earthy, on his season-long loan away from West Ham, to fulfil his ambition to make it into the senior squad. Portsmouth loved him last year and now it seems Potter is already convinced.
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“West Ham are unlikely to consider loan offers for academy graduates Freddie Potts and George Earthy as Graham Potter looks to integrate the pair into his squad next season…[the ‘Standard’ article continues]..The two midfielders both enjoyed productive loan spells in the Championship last season and will now be given a chance to stake a claim for regular first-team minutes.”
Potts, the more defensively oriented of the duo, will be ready to challenge for a place alongside Alvarez and Rodriguez. George Earthy will have an anxious wait to see if his ankle responds in time to get back into the senior squad for the start of the Premier league on August 16th.
News of plans for Hammers’ other young prospects is revealed in the same article: “Fellow academy graduates Lewis Orford, 19, and Kaelan Casey, 20, have also been involved in pre-season, and the club are lining up loan moves for the pair in the hopes they will follow in the footsteps of Potts and Earthy.”