Freddie Potts

Key strength: Ball retention

Deep-lying playmaker

Deep in a relegation battle, West Ham United sit 18th in the Premier League with question marks hanging over their form as they fight to stay above the drop zone. Amid this uncertainty, a new chapter is being written by one of their own. Freddie Potts, the 22-year-old defensive midfielder who has called West Ham home since joining the academy in 2009, has finally broken into the first team. In the 2025/26 season, he's made 3 appearances totaling 105 minutes of Premier League football—a modest return that represents something far greater: a boyhood dream realized. Son of West Ham U21 assistant manager Steve Potts, Freddie carries on a family legacy at the London Stadium, where tactical discipline and positional awareness have become his calling cards. Despite tough competition from more established names like Tomáš Souček and Guido Rodríguez, Potts' emergence offers a beacon of hope for fans weary of their team's struggles. With a market value of €2.5 million and a full career ahead, the academy graduate is just getting started.