Steve Potts (footballer)

For other people named Steve Potts, see Steve Potts (disambiguation).

Steve Potts

Personal information
Full name	Steven John Potts [1]
Date of birth	(1967-05-07) 7 May 1967 (age 57) [1]
Place of birth	Hartford, Connecticut, [1] United States
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) [2]
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	West Ham United (U23 Head Coach)
Youth career
1983–1984	West Ham United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1985–2002	West Ham United	399	(1)
2002–2003	Dagenham & Redbridge	21	(0)
Total		420	(1)
International career
	England School Boy	11	(0)
1983–1984	England U17	12	(0)
1984–1985	England Youth	7	(0)
Managerial career
2011–2012	West Ham U16s
2012–2015	West Ham U18s
2015–2020	West Ham U21s
2023–	West Ham U21s
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Steven John Potts (born 7 May 1967) is an English football coach and former professional footballer who is the current head coach of West Ham United under-23s.

As a player, he was a defender notably in the Premier League for West Ham United where he made 399 league appearances, scoring 1 goal over a seventeen-year spell at Upton Park. He retired in 2003 following a spell with non-league side Dagenham & Redbridge in what was the only season during his career that he did not play for West Ham. He also represented the England national team eleven times at youth level.

Following retirement, Potts has held a variety of coaching roles at the West Ham academy including head coach of the U16, U18 and U21 teams.

Career

Potts started his career at West Ham United as an apprentice in 1983, making his first appearance against Queens Park Rangers on 1 January 1985. Known as Pottsy, ^[3] he played for West Ham United for the next seventeen years. Primarily a fullback, Potts developed into a 'utility' player, he spent large portions of his career playing at centre-half despite being undersized for such a position. He also on occasion featured in midfield.

Potts was West Ham United Club captain for a 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 (good enough for ninth place in the club's all-time appearance charts), ^[3] scoring only one goal, in a 7–1 win against Hull City in 1990. His last competitive appearance for the club was on 7 March 2001 against Chelsea, ^[4] although he stayed on until 2002. In 1997 he was awarded a testimonial by West Ham. The game was played on 2 August 1997 and was a 2–0 win against QPR. ^[5]

Potts transferred to Dagenham & 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. ^[6] Potts was promoted to manage the West Ham United under-18 team in December 2012, ^[7] 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. ^[8]

For the 2021–22 season, Potts was named assistant coach of the under-23 team. ^[9]

Personal life

In August 2007, he completed The Knowledge and qualified to drive a Hackney carriage. ^[3] In 2008, he ran the London Marathon in aid of the charity Children with Leukaemia, raising £24,052.99 in the process. ^[10]

He coached his sons, Daniel and Freddie, at the West Ham United academy, and both signed their first professional contracts at the club. ^[11] Daniel has since signed for Luton Town. ^[12]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ^[13]

Club	Season	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
West Ham United	1984–85	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	1985–86	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	1986–87	8	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
	1987–88	8	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	11	0
	1988–89	28	0	7	0	6	0	2	0	43	0
	1989–90	32	0	1	0	7	0	2	0	42	0
	1990–91	37	1	7	0	2	0	1	0	47	1
	1991–92	34	0	5	0	3	0	2	0	44	0
	1992–93	46	0	2	0	2	0	6	0	56	0
	1993–94	41	0	6	0	3	0	0	0	50	0
	1994–95	42	0	2	0	4	0	0	0	48	0
	1995–96	34	0	3	0	3	0	0	0	40	0
	1996–97	20	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	22	0
	1997–98	23	0	5	0	4	0	0	0	32	0
	1998–99	19	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	22	0
	1999–2000	17	0	1	0	1	0	8	0	27	0
	2000–01	8	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	11	0
	Total	399	1	42	0	42	0	23	0	506	1
Dagenham & Redbridge	2002–03	21	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	24	0
Career total		420	1	43	0	44	0	23	0	530	1

Honours

West Ham

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999 ^[14]
• FL Second Division: promotion 1990–91,1992–93 ^[15]

References

1. "Steve Potts". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p.  388. ISBN   978-0-356-14354-5.
3. "Potts the marathon man | News | Latest News | News | West Ham United". Whufc.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
4. "Chelsea ease past poor Hammers". BBC. 7 March 2001. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
5. "Steve Potts Testimonial - theyflysohigh". theyflysohigh.co.uk. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
6. "Carr welcomes Potts return". www.whufc.com. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
7. "Potts prepared for Under-18 debuyt". www.whufc.com. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
8. "Potts named U21 coach". www.whufc.com. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
9. "Steve Potts: West Ham United U23s got there in the end | West Ham United".
10. Steve Potts 2008 Flora London Marathon www.bmycharity.com ^{[ dead link ‍]}
11. "Freddie Potts". whufc.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
12. Ed Smith. "LUTON TOWN SIGN DEFENDER DAN POTTS FROM WEST HAM UTD" . Retrieved 30 May 2015.
13. "Steve Potts". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
14. "Intertoto win gives Hammers Uefa spot". BBC. 24 August 1999. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
15. "Hammer for life: Steve Potts reveals his favourite West Ham moments". WHUFC. 11 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2023.

External links

• Steve Potts at Soccerbase