'From the bottom of my heart' - Classy West Ham midfielder's parting message to Portsmouth faithful after hugely successful loan stint

Freddie Potts has reserved a special thanks to the fans as he bid farewell to the Fratton faithful.

The classy midfielder has returned to parent club West Ham after a hugely successful loan spell with the Blues that saw the 21-year-old become a mainstay of John Mousinho’s team in the Championship and start 35 of the club’s second-tier games in 2024-25.

At the Hammers, Potts will be given the opportunity to cement a place in Graham Potters’ first-team plans during pre-season, after signing a new four-and-a-half-year deal with his boyhood club back in March.

That’s bad news for Pompey, who would love to see the midfielder back at Fratton Park, where he quickly established himself as a firm favourite among the supporters.

The Blues have, however, positioned themselves at the top of the queue if West Ham decide that another loan move would benefit the player further. Meanwhile. there’s proof once more that Potts clearly treasured his time on the south coast after he said one more goodbye to the Pompey family via the club website.

Freddie Potts’ final message to Pompey fans

Singling out the fans for the support they provided during his season-long stay, Potts said: ‘Honestly, from the bottom of my heart, it's a massive, massive thank you because it was easy to turn against myself or the team, but the fans stuck with us and supported us and they've took me in unbelievably well.

‘You know, it's not easy for fans to take a young player in as well as they have, so I'm just thankful for all the support that they've gave me and the team away from home or at home. It's just been such an enjoyable season.

‘I've loved, honestly, every part of it since the first game I had at Burnley away. It's just been a special, special place to play and to give me this chance to play at this club was a massive, massive thing for me, so just from the bottom of my heart, thank you.’

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John Mousinho’s last words on Freddie Potts

Mousinho deliberately gave supporters the opportunity to thank Potts for his Pompey service on the final day of the season when he substituted him in the second half against Hull.

The move went down well, with the Fratton faithful providing the midfielder with a standing ovation as he left the pitch. Meanwhile, chants of ‘one more year’ rang out when Potts joined his Blues team-mates on a lap of appreciation around Fratton Park upon the conclusion of the season.

Afterwards, the Blues head coach said: ‘Freddie massively deserved the ovation.

‘It’s one where if we had more subs maybe we could have done that with Rob (Atkinson) and maybe brought a couple of the loan players on, too.

‘With Freddie, in particular, it’s one where he’s been here all season and done such a good job.

‘It’s most likely we won’t see him again next season, unfortunately, so it was a really good moment.

‘I suspect he’s going to go back and challenge at West Ham so if we do (see him again) then great, if we do it’s a bonus. But that would be my expectation for Fred next year and, if not, then we will certainly be knocking at the door and first in the queue.’

Freddie Potts on his West Ham hopes

After signing a deal that will keep him at West Ham until the summer of 2029, Potts said: ‘Mark Noble rang me to say the Club wanted to offer me a new contract, and I was delighted. To be given this extension is a massive moment for me. I’ve worked really hard over the last couple of seasons to earn this.

‘I’ve been at West Ham since I was five. I grew up in the area, and I’ve wanted to become a West Ham player my whole life. Hopefully, this (coming) pre-season, with the new manager coming in, brings a fresh opportunity. From what I’ve seen, it looks really exciting, so I’m eager to be part of it. My goal is to break into the first team and show what I can do at the highest level.’

For your next Pompey read: ‘You have to raise the bar’: Why brutal Portsmouth calls have to be made ahead of huge summer transfer window