Graham Potter has named Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Roberto Martinez as the three biggest influences on his career. Speaking on BT Sport ahead of the Blues' Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb, he detailed his journey to becoming head coach at Stamford Bridge and his inspirations.
The 47-year-old picked out Mourinho for his impact on the Premier League during his first stint as Chelsea boss. Potter then singled out Guardiola for his revolutionary influence on football from his time at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Potter's decision to put Martinez in the same bracket may have come as a surprise to many, but the Englishman was quick to reveal why the Belgium boss has been so influential. He said: "My time abroad certainly had an influence, but it should not affect who you are.
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"There is no point trying to act, I learned that pretty quickly because some of my mistakes I have made have been trying to be somebody I am not. My experience in Sweden shocked me by how there is a negative perception of English managers abroad.
"People saw you as an English coach and there was a bit of negativity around that," Potter added. "There was a generalisation of an English coach, but I have just been myself. I was there for seven years so I learned a lot.
"I remember the first time when Jose Mourinho first came to England as the Chelsea manager, I think he had a massive impact on the Premier League and football in this country. Pep’s influence has been huge, so those two spring to mind.
"On a closer level to me, Roberto Martinez in terms of watching him work and watching him coach the lower leagues in England. There have been loads and that is the good thing about being in the UK, there are top coaches here and you are constantly learning from them every time."
Potter continued by explaining that he still feels as if he's on cloud nine following a meteoric rise to the highest level. The Chelsea boss said: "It sometimes hasn’t sunk in yet.
"Sometimes in press conferences, the journey from the fourth tier in Sweden to now, it is quite a big journey, and it’s a big rise. It is not down to anything extraordinary that I have done, but more down to the fact that you go step by step and you are prepared to try, prepared to fail, prepared to make mistakes and prepared to learn."
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