Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's early backing gave Graham Potter the belief he would one day manage a top six club.
Potter was tipped to be Gareth Southgate's successor with England but now finds himself as Chelsea boss after replacing Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge. The former Brighton boss has received plenty of plaudits for his work with Swansea and Brighton in the past but now has the chance to prove himself as a coach at the top level.
Potter's first Premier League game in charge comes next weekend when the Blues face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with the new head coach hoping for a winning start to turn the west Londoners' form around after the international break. Potter's first game in charge of Chelsea ended in a 1-1 draw against Red Bull Salzburg as summer signing Raheem Sterling opened the scoring before Noah Okafor equalised for the visitors.
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It was a 45 minute conversation with Guardiola and the Spaniard's early interest that gave Potter the belief he would one day manage a top club, as per The Daily Mail. Despite early success at Swedish club Ostersunds, British clubs remained unconvinced that Potter could get teams to perform in England.
Potter was rebuffed by his former club Stoke City after applying for a vacant managerial position with the club opting to appoint Gary Rowett instead. Swansea City took a gamble and appointed Potter with Guardiola quickly becoming a 'big fan' of Potter's meticulous and intelligent coaching, quickly followed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
The Manchester City boss was amazed by the way Potter's side played against his team in the 2019 FA Cup quarter-final, with the Premier League team scraping through 3-2 after falling 2-0 behind. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager sought Potter out afterwards and spent 45 minutes talking to him in the manager's office at The Liberty Stadium.
Guardiola publicly praised Potter for his coaching ability, admitting he is a 'big fan' of Potter. Following a clash between City and Brighton, the Spaniard said: "I am a big fan of Graham Potter. From the first time at Swansea, it was a joy to analyse his teams but also a concern when you play them.
"His players have the courage to play, they all know what to do. The first thing I would tell my players is: 'We have to be at a high level against them.'
"They have runners high and wide, it does not matter if they are wing-backs, full-backs or wingers. And after that, they create spaces for people in the middle. They press aggressive, all the things I would like as a spectator. I identify with his teams."
Jurgen Klopp has previously praised Potter for the way his Brighton side played and now with the backing of Todd Boehly at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea could soon be closing the gap to City and Liverpool. Klopp said: "He's definitely one of the best. I respect what he did at Brighton and how he set the team up. Between football people, he's highly regarded.
"I liked watching his Brighton team but didn't like playing them – he is a really good manager and his teams mirror his ability. I hope they appreciate what they have."
It will take time for Potter to adjust to Chelsea, and vice-versa, but it looks as though Boehly has a manager that now fits in with his long-term vision for the club. The Blues will be hoping for a winning start to Potter's reign in the Premier League as they face a hectic month of fixtures throughout October.
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