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Jarrod Bowen is not giving up the captain’s armband any time soon at West Ham United but, when the time does come, Mateus Fernandes can envisage Freddie Potts inheriting the role of skipper.
As compliments go, telling Freddie Potts to his face that he could follow in the footsteps of Declan Rice and Mark Noble is like calling a budding young thespian the next Daniel Day Lewis.
A West Ham United academy graduate, Barking-born Potts is living the ‘dream’ in his breakout Premier League campaign.
Fernandes predicts a big future for Freddie Potts!
Who do YOU think will replace Bowen as the captain? ⚒️ 🇨
And midfield partner Mateus Fernandes, having played 17 games alongside the youngster this season, has already seen enough to suggest he could be the natural heir to current captain Jarrod Bowen.
Mateus Fernandes says Freddie Potts ‘has the profile’ to captain West Ham United
“When we played against Newcastle [a 3-1 win in November], Potts made his first start,” Fernandes tells the official West Ham YouTube channel. “He told me, like, do your job in front of the goal, be yourself, and I’ll do my job here, defending.
“I think Potts, he understands the game, you know? The timing, when he needs to jump [press]. I think he can be captain. He has the profile.”
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
Also in the room, an interview taking place between three members of the West Ham engine room, Soungoutou Magassa excelled off the bench at Fulham in midweek.
Tomas Soucek is still going strong as well, meaning Nuno Espirito Santo has four central midfielders with varying skillsets at his disposal.
To think, West Ham started the season at Sunderland with Guido Rodriguez partnering James Ward-Prowse and Andy Irving on the bench.
“Soungou is more, like, he feels the game, you know?,” Fernandes adds of the £14 million signing from Monaco. “When he needs to go, he goes. It doesn’t matter about the [minutes] he plays, he works hard for the time.
“He didn’t play too much before Man United [a 1-1 draw in December in which Magassa scored]. But he came in, he started, and he played very well!
“I think the moment is good because the guys, even on the bench, they are training hard. When they come in, they play well.
“Potts, in the last [few] games, he did a very good job. We need everybody because it’s a good moment for us to leave that position and move on.”
Potts dreams of emulating Declan Rice and Mark Noble If you think I’m talking rubbish by naming this team vs Brentford – let me know why 👇
Alternatively, feel free to let me what (if anything) I’ve got spot on 😂
Credit: GRV Media
Potts has started eleven league matches since making his debut in the opening weeks of the campaign. He is in contention to start against Brentford in the FA Cup on Monday too, having served his three-game suspension following that red card at Burton Albion in round four.
“It’s surreal [to hear Fernandes say I could be the captain one day]. It’s always been the dream,” Potts smiles, clearly taken aback by his teammate’s glowing praise.
“It’s only really the start for me. I only want it to be the start. I want to stay here for as long as I can because I support the team, and to play for the team makes it even more special.
“But players like Mark Noble and Declan Rice, who came through the academy to then go on and be captain, I think it’s just the main inspiration. Everyone who is a young player at West Ham will look up to [them] and try and follow in their footsteps, and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“And to hear that from Mateus is pretty nice.”
Potts and Fernandes feel positive with Paco Jemez in the building
Potts is also the latest to credit the appointment of Paco Jemez as a clear turning point in their season. West Ham have picked up 12 more points than Tottenham and eight more than Nottingham Forest since Jemez, a highly-experienced coach in his own right, joined as Nuno’s right-hand man.
Konstantinos Mavropanos and Ollie Scarles highlighted the big impact Paco Jemez has made regarding a much-improved defensive record, something Potts agrees with.
“It’s looking very positive, I think,” the youngster says after Mads Hermansen kept a third clean sheet in five appearances at Fulham in midweek.
“We’ve had a new coach come in as well, Paco, who’s helped us out defensively as well. And I think everyone – the coaches and the players, and I think the fans as well – everyone’s in a good mindset at the moment.”
“Like Freddy said, the moment is good,” Fernandes continues. “We go day by day, step by step, game by game. In football, every week can change very quick, so we need to improve. We need to focus on the next game, and the next game is the most important.
“So, try to be ready for the next game, training well, preparing, and resting to be ready.”
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