WEST Ham have appointed former York City defender Graham Potter as their new manager.

Potter, who made over 100 appearances for the Minstermen between 2000 and 2003, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to replace Julen Lopetegui, who was sacked yesterday.

The 49-year-old, who is stepping back into management after 20 months, will take charge of his first match when the Hammers travel to Aston Villa in the third round of the FA Cup tomorrow evening.

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“I am delighted to be here,” he said. “It was important to me that I waited until a job came along that I felt was right for me, and equally that I was the right fit for the club I am joining. That is the feeling I have with West Ham United.

“My conversations with the Chairman and the Board have been very positive and constructive, we share the same values of hard work and high energy to create the solid foundations that can produce success, and we are on the same wavelength in terms of what is needed in the short-term and then how we want to move the club forward in the medium to long term.”

Potter turned out over 100 times for City during the early 2000s. (Image: PA)Potter played for the likes of Birmingham City, Stoke City, and West Bromwich Albion, but did not feature for any club as many as the 114 times he turned out for York.

He first made a managerial name for himself at Swedish club Ostersund in 2010, leading them to three promotions in five years and to the Europa League knockout stages, beating Arsenal along the way.

His Scandinavian exploits put him on the radar of Swansea City, whom he joined in 2018, before he then led Brighton & Hove Albion to a then-record high ninth place finish in 2020-21.

Potter then moved to Chelsea in September 2022 but despite being linked with a number of managerial roles, including England, has been out of a job since being sacked by the Stamford Bridge club the following April.

“West Ham United is a huge club, at the heart of London, with a tremendous fanbase and great support all around the world,” he continued.

“I saw the scenes that followed their Europa Conference League victory in 2023, and it was clear that this is a club with everything in place to become consistently successful, both on and off the pitch.

“The club have made a lot of good progress in recent years and ensured there are some very strong foundations in place to build on. You don’t win a European trophy by fluke – there has to be a good bedrock at a football club for that to happen, and the challenge now is to take that on and build the next steps, to develop a team and a club that the supporters can be proud of.”