Freddie Potts made his first Premier League start for West Ham against Newcastle over the weekend, but younger supporters may not have realized he was following in the footsteps of a famous Hammers player.
That famous West Ham player happens to be his father, Steve Potts, who is also a youth coach at the club.
Potts started his career at West Ham United as an apprentice in 1983, making his first appearance on 1 January 1985. Known as _Pottsy_, he played for West Ham United for the next seventeen years mainly as a utility' player.
Potts was West Ham United Club captain for three years between 1993 and 1996 and was voted Hammer of The Year in 1993 and 1995, and runner up in both 1992 and 1994. During his career he amassed a total of 505 appearances for the club scoring only one goal, in a 7–1 win against Hull City in 1990.
Potts then transferred to Dagenham and Redbridge on 13 September 2002 and played there for a full season before retiring from football. In August 2011 he was appointed as coach for the West Ham United under-16 team.
Potts was promoted to manage the West Ham United under-18 team in December 2012, taking charge of a 1–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in his maiden game. In January 2015, Potts was named as West Ham United Under-21 team coach.
Steve Potts coached his sons Freddie and Daniel in West Hams youth team. While Freddie managed to break into the Hammers first team, Daniel has gone on to sign for Luton Town in league One.
Freddie Potts debut was a memorable won as he was named Man of the Match by Sky Sports for his performance as they defeated Newcastle 3-1 at the London Stadium.
The fans recognized the effort too, with chants of _“Freddie Potts, he’s one of our own”_ echoing around the London Stadium throughout the match.
Freddie Potts is one of a number of players who have gone on to follow their fathers’ footsteps and play in the Premier League.