It has only been four years since Graham Potter left Östersund for Swansea City. Even amid the endless churn of the Premier League, his appointment as manager of Chelsea on a five-year contract, confirmed Thursday and just a day after Thomas Tuchel’s ouster, represents a remarkable, swift ascent.
Back then, Potter was seen as an oddity. He had been a journeyman fullback, making 320 league appearances, most for York City, Macclesfield Town, Stoke City and West Brom before completing a degree in social sciences at The Open University. His career path from then was quirky, bordering on the eccentric.