The 6 takeaways from blockbuster Graham Potter interview - Chelsea, Brighton, Taylor Swift and more

Former Chelsea manager Graham Potter has sat down for a blockbuster interview with The Telegraph, looking back at his time at Stamford Bridge and dropping hints about his future as he prepares for a return to coaching.

The ex Blues boss lasted fewer than seven months with the London club between September 2022 and April 2023 in a tumultuous tenure which saw him win just 12 of his 31 fixtures in the dugout.

Potter has been linked with jobs at Brighton, Ajax and England in recent months. LondonWorld looks at six takeaways from his latest interview.

Graham Potter ready for managerial return

After nearly 18 months away from management, Graham Potter had admitted he is ready to take up a new challenge. The 49-year-old has been linked with a number of jobs since leaving Stamford Bridge, reportedly turning down the chance to coach Ajax earlier this year.

He told The Telegraph: “I’ve felt ready to return for a little while. It still has to be the right thing, but I’m excited for it. I’m excited to hear what the opportunities are and I’ll take each one and judge it on its merits."

Potter cited Eddie Howe and Unai Emery as inspirations in managers who have bounced back from criticism as AFC Bournemouth and Arsenal to now succeed at Newcastle United and Aston Villa respectively.

Potter on learning Spanish

The former Brighton and Chelsea manager has been linked with most Premier League vacancies since his time at the Blues came to an end but Potter's return to football management could perhaps come overseas.

In the tell-all interview, the coach admitted that he had been taking Spanish lessons to keep himself busy while not working, which could open the door to opportunities in La Liga.

He said: “As the brain gets a bit older it’s not easy to do. I needed to create routines in my life and when I was off, part of it was the gym and part of it was Spanish lessons.

“I had a tutor. I’ve had a bit of a break from that now, but I’m doing the apps and studying, and I’ll see how that goes over the next few weeks, months, see what happens work-wise. It’s more for the brain and to learn a language.”

The excessive Chelsea squad

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has spent his summer trying to trim the fat around an excessively large Blues squad but he is not the first boss to have that problem at Stamford Bridge.

Potter saw his first team options swell with heavy investment from Chelsea ownership and admitted that the keenness to recruit had also caused him a headache, just as it has Maresca.

Potter said: “A few of them just had to sit on the floor. It’s not ideal, of course. Everybody recognised it was a really difficult situation because you can only pick 11 players and if you’ve got 20 players not playing, it doesn’t matter where you are. If you can find a coach out there who says: ‘Yeah, that’s the best condition for me,’ I’d be very surprised.”

Returning to Brighton

Given his success at Brighton between 2019 and 2022, the former Chelsea man is often linked with a return to the south coast. The manager and his family still live in the city.

With Roberto De Zerbi leaving the AMEX Stadium for Marseille this summer, Potter was one of the names linked with the job before Fabian Hürzeler was brought in.

Speaking about that opportunity, Potter said: "My thoughts were always that it wasn’t the right thing to go back. It wasn’t the right time for that.

"Who knows in the future because I’ve got a lot of friends there and I’ve got a lot of time for Tony [Bloom] and Paul [Barber], and there are great people. But in my head, the next step is to do something else. It might not be as good as that opportunity because I know how good a football club it is, but at the same time I think I need to go on a different path. That was my thoughts, irrespective of whether they wanted to speak to me or not.”

Following Gareth Southgate with England

Lee Carsley recorded back-to-back wins over the recent international break with England but there remain questions over who will land the Three Lions job permanently.

Carsley is currently caretaker manager following the departure of Gareth Southgate this summer and Potter is one of the names rumoured to be on the FA shortlist for the position.

Speaking about a potential international management role, Potter said: “I like the day-to-day and the building process of club management.

"International management is a different rhythm and there are pluses for that. It’s more intense when it’s on, but you’ve got a bit more breathing space in between. It’s nothing that I’ve ruled out, but at the same time I do like the day-to-day bit of working with the players and being in at the club and trying to build and make a difference."

Taylor Swift

Potter spoke in depth to The Telegraph about how he had been keeping himself busy since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023. As well as Spanish lessons, the manager joked that he had developed a penchant for pop star Taylor Swift.

He said: "I went to the US and saw some sports over there, some organisations. I went to the Falklands and did a leadership talk, and, much to the horror of my 14-year-old boy, I went to see Taylor Swift in concert. He’s not as much of a fan as me.”