‘Excited for it’ – Former Brighton boss seeks management return and namedrops Unai Emery’s job
Graham Potter is keen to return to management 18-months after his Chelsea exit
Former Brighton boss Graham Potter says he’s ready for a return to management following his sacking from Chelsea in April 2023.
Potter, 49, enjoyed three largely successful seasons at Brighton before joining Chelsea for a “long-term project” at Stamford Bridge in September 2022.
However, the ex-Swansea and Ostersund manager lasted less than a season in west London and was sacked by the club just seven months into his five-year contract. He won 12 of his 31 games in charge of the Blues,
The Potter experiment was an expensive seven months for Chelsea as they paid Brighton around £20m to prise him and his backroom staff away from the Amex, swiftly followed by a reported compensation package for Potter of £13m following his sacking.
The ex-Albion boss has since been linked with a variety of roles – including Manchester United, Nice, Ajax, Leicester and even a return to Brighton – but he has now been out of work for almost 18 months.
Potter pointed to the examples of Eddie Howe at Newcastle and Unai Emery at Aston Villa as examples of how to rebuild a career after disappointment. Howe spent 18 months away from football after relegation at Bournemouth, while Emery was harshly judged after his brief stint at Arsenal finished in 2019.
"I’ve felt ready to return for a little while," Potter said to The Telegraph. "It still has to be the right thing, but I’m excited for it. I’m excited to hear what the opportunities are and I’ll take each one and judge it on its merits.
“It wasn’t so long ago that Eddie Howe left Bournemouth after they had been relegated. He took 18 months out and now he’s at Newcastle doing brilliant things.
“If you look at Unai Emery, how he was received after leaving Arsenal and look at what he’s doing now. I see it (Chelsea job) as an unbelievable experience that I’ve had. It didn’t go as well as I’d have liked.”
Potter will hope to remind potential employers of his availability once again tonight as he joins Jamie Carragher and David Jones on Monday Night Football as Bournemouth welcome Southampton.