Credit: Imago

James Barker

Tue 2 June 2026 7:10, UK

Freddie Potts enjoyed an excellent season in the Championship with Portsmouth in 2024-25, with his numbers proving why he’s going to be a big part of West Ham United‘s second-tier squad.

Having been with West Ham since the age of six, Potts finally saw his Hammers dream come true in 2025-26.

Indeed, the 22-year-old established himself in the first-team picture, playing 25 times in all competitions last term, with 22 of those coming in the Premier League.

Despite that achievement, the midfielder endured a mixed bag of performances, with his potential and quality on display at times, whilst his youth and inexperience also showed itself in equal measure.

Now preparing for a season in the Championship, Potts has already proven he’s a class act in the second tier, and has evidence to strongly suggest he’s going to be a big player for the Irons next term.

How did Freddie Potts fare for Portsmouth in the Championship?

Potts is contracted with West Ham until 2029, meaning that he’s unlikely to be going anywhere any time soon.

With a big summer overhaul expected in the coming weeks and months, Nuno Espirito Santo is set to see his ranks undergo some serious change.

Mateus Fernandes is sure to leave, and that will deplete what is already a thin central midfield group at the London Stadium even further.

Nuno needs as many players he can trust in the Championship next season, and whilst he may not have fallen into that category in the Premier League, Potts should certainly be one of those in the second tier.

He spent 2024-25 out on a season-long loan deal with Portsmouth, where he made 37 league appearances for the Fratton Park outfit, who finished 16th in their first season back at the level that year.

Potts started 35 of his 37 league outings for Pompey, playing over 3,000 minutes of Championship football, scoring once and providing four assists along the way.

As per FotMob, Potts won 91 aerial duels in the league that term, which was the most of any defensive midfielder in the Championship in 2024-25.

Meanwhile, his 231 duels won ranked him in the top 4.9 percentile of his positional peers, whilst his 54 fouls won and 40 interceptions made placed him in the leading 9.8 per cent of his divisional rivals respectively.

Potts also made 147 recoveries, won 16 possessions in the final third, registered a 63.9 per cent dribble success rate and created 33 chances respectively.

What did Potts say about his Portsmouth loan spell?

Unsurprisingly then looking at those numbers, Potts became a hugely popular figure among the Portsmouth support.

That feeling was evidently mutual as well, as the midfielder penned a lengthy and heartfelt message to the Fratton Park faithful after his loan spell ended there.

“It’s been a season that I definitely won’t forget. I’ve got better and better as it’s gone on – as have the team,” he said via Portsmouth’s official club website.

“I feel like I’ve learnt so much here and am more of a man than when I arrived, so I want to thank all those people who trusted me to play for Pompey.

“I’ve been really impressed” 👏

“A lot of potential” 🙌

Who’s an under the radar Championship player who could become a future Premier League regular?@RyanDilks1 is a big fan of Portsmouth’s Freddie Potts👇

🔗 https://t.co/3vX06CBCHW#Pompey #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/USIZC0wIGq

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) March 21, 2025

“I’ve developed a lot both on and off the pitch – this whole journey has been one that’s really good for me.

“I wanted to play as many games as possible, but also show people my ability and that I could play at this level at least…

“The message from the bottom of my heart to the fans is just a massive ‘thank you’ because they stuck with us and gave me – and the team – so much support.”