The familiar face of Jarrod Bowen will lead West Ham United out at the Stadium of Light this afternoon as Graham Potter’s side kick off the new Premier League campaign away at Sunderland.
But could there be a few younger, less established faces in the Hammers side perhaps?
El Hadji Malick Diouf is expected to make his debut at left-wing back. Graham Potter appears set to throw Mads Hermansen in for his West Ham United debut as well, the £18 million signing from Leicester City likely to take Alphonse Areola’s place between the sticks.
But, after sporting director Mark Noble highlighted six rising stars worth keeping an eye on at the London Stadium, Saturday’s trip to Wearside could represent a landmark moment for one academy graduate in particular.
Anton Ferdinand has already singled out Freddie Potts as this season’s breakout talent.
After a fine pre-season, particularly during the Premier League Summer Series in the USA, former Hammers centre-back Ferdinand is not the only one excited to see Potts take to the first division stage for the very first time.
Jarrod Bowen - Ipswich Town FC v West Ham United FC - Premier League
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Jarrod Bowen among West Ham United stars with high hopes for Freddie Potts
Speaking ahead of that Black Cats curtain raiser, a handful of West Ham players were quizzed on who they expect to burst onto the scene under Graham Potter over the coming months.
Captain Jarrod Bowen was emphatic in his response; ‘Pottsy’.
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Konstantinos Mavropanos, Nayef Aguerd, Edson Alvarez and Andy Irving are also boarding the Freddie Potts train, while Ollie Scarles – who played alongside the Barking-born midfielder as West Ham thrashed Arsenal to win the FA Youth Cup in 2023 – believes a man two years his senior is about to follow in his footsteps and nail down a first-team role.
“[Pre-season was] really, really good. We’ve got some good young players coming in. Freddie Potts could go into the middle of that midfield and really stake a claim of being a first-team player this year,” Ferdinand told talkSPORT after watching the 21-year-old impress against Everton, Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth across the Atlantic.
“You know, doing things the ‘West Ham way’, which is going through the academy. Something we all want to see as fans.
“So having him and a few others in and around… I’m not going to mention their names yet because I don’t want to put pressure on them, but Freddie Potts has been on two good loans [Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth] and he can deal with pressure like that.”
Potts ‘became a man’ on loan at Portsmouth last season, to quote the midfielder himself. With Guido Rodriguez’s future uncertain and Edson Alvarez facing a potential August departure – Alvarez’s agent is not ruling out a return to Ajax – there may well be a place for Potts to establish himself as the deepest of Potter’s midfield starters.
Interestingly, Potts likens himself to Mexico captain Alvarez, feeling he shares many of the same attributes as a man brought in for £35 million back in 2023.
Niclas Fullkrug during West Ham United FC v Tottenham Hotspur FC - Premier League
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James Ward-Prowse and Niclas Fullkrug make Luis Guilherme prediction
Not every member of the West Ham roster picked Potts as 2025/26’s one to watch, however.
Crysencio Summerville opted for Malick Diouf, the £19 million left-wing-back brought in from that old watering hole Slavia Prague. As Graham Potter talks up Summerville’s impending return from a long-term hamstring injury, the pair could form an enthralling partnership down the left-hand flank for years to come.
Jean-Clair Todibo chose Preston Fearon; The 18-year-old with a penchant for nutmegging his far more senior teammates on the training pitch. Jarrod Bowen labels Fearon a ‘special’ talent and admitted that even he had been left bamboozled at times by his blink-and-you-miss-it footwork.
Lewis Orford picked Callum Marshall, Young Player of the Year on loan at Huddersfield Town in 2024/25.
And James Ward-Prowse and Niclas Fullkrug both think Luis Guilherme will bounce back stronger from a difficult debut season in London. The £25 million teenager is another who caught the eye over in America.
Luis Guilherme even presented himself as a wing-back option for Potter, having taken his chance to impress in an unfamiliar role.
“I’m very happy to be helping the team in some way. We’re getting better and better,” he told the club’s official website after goals from Lucas Paqueta and Fullkrug sparked a 2-1 comeback win over Everton in Chicago.
“I hope I can play some great games throughout the season ahead. I’m very happy with the opportunity the coach is giving me. I’m getting better and better, feeling better and better on the field.
“Once again, I hope I can help the team in some way.”