Baku, January 9, AZERTAC

English Premier League club West Ham United hired Graham Potter as their new head coach on Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.

"West Ham United is delighted to welcome Graham Potter as the Club’s new Head Coach.

"The 49-year-old joins the Hammers on a two-and-a-half year contract and will take charge of his new team for the first time when the Irons travel to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday evening," West Ham said in a statement.

The Hammers on Wednesday fired Spain's Julen Lopetegui for his poor showing after 192 days.

This season, West Ham United are on 23 points in 20 matches to be in the 14th spot in Premier League standings.

"I am delighted to be here. 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," Potter said after he signed for the London club.

"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," he added.

Potter previously coached Premier League club Chelsea and left his role at the Blues in 2023.

Before his Chelsea days, Potter was the head coach of Swedish club Ostersunds, and England's Swansea City, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Potter, a former English football player, had moved to Sweden in 2010 to coach Ostersunds, helping this club win the 2017 Swedish Cup, and took the team from the fourth-tier division to Sweden's top-flight league.

In Potter's era, Ostersunds played in the second-tier UEFA Europa League Round of 32 during the 2017-18 season and were eliminated by Arsenal.