GRAHAM POTTER says “life is about taking risks” as he prepares for his debut as Chelsea boss.
The 47-year-old completed his switch to the Blues from Brighton on a five-year deal last Thursday — just 24 hours after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel.
Potter is the eighth permanent appointment at Stamford Bridge in just over a decade and the first under new American owner Todd Boehly.
After a torrid start to the season, Potter needs to quickly reinvigorate the squad — starting in the Champions League at home to Austria’s RB Salzburg on Wednesday night.
His coaching career has so far seen him spend time in Sweden with Ostersunds, before making the jump to the Championship with Swansea and then the Premier League with Brighton.
Potter said: “Life is about taking risks and doing something which is a bit outside of what you are comfortable with.
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“It allows you to grow and develop. I had a young family and they gave up a lot to come over to Sweden. It wasn’t exactly Barcelona or Monte Carlo.
“When I took over at Brighton the team had just finished fourth from bottom.
“The remit was to bring the age of the squad down, change the playing style and to align the recruitment with winning matches in the Premier League.
“I will be forever thankful and grateful for those experiences I had. It made me a better person and better coach. It is part of what made me who I am today.
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“You learn a lot about what you can deal with, about the ups and downs, about how you have to take responsibility, especially when things aren’t going well.
“We can use those experiences in a really good way.”
The magnitude of the challenge for Potter would have sunk in while walking around Blues’ Cobham training ground.
On one particular wall is a collage of every trophy won in recent years, from the Champions League under predecessor Tuchel in 2021, the FA Cup under Antonio Conte in 2018 and the Premier League with Jose Mourinho in 2015.
Potter, 47, added: “It is the start of a really exciting period.
“A new ownership I was really impressed by, firstly as people and then by their vision for the club and what they wanted to do.
“The history of the club speaks for itself. It is about trying to create that in our own way.
“But you only have to walk around the place and you see the pictures and the trophies, the names. It is incredible.
“It is a huge honour for me to be a part of that now.
“My career has gone forward. I had a great time in Sweden and back in the UK I have had fantastic experiences. It is nice to be able to take the next step.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to work with an exciting group of players that we have here, compete at the top and try to create a winning team.
“If you want to talk about how you can keep your message going forward and how to convince people you are on the right path, it is winning.
“My starting point will always be with the person first.
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“You have to understand that they are human beings, understand what motivates them and what they are like as people.
“From that, you try to come to some common ground to try to build relationships, try to communicate effectively on a daily basis and build respect, build trust, build honesty.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
