Graham Potter insists that if Pep Guardiola has anything to prove as a manager, he does so after the former Chelsea boss was unveiled as West Ham's new head coach.
The 49-year-old described his appointment as Hammers manager as a kind of 'Christmas for adults' when he spoke to the media for the first time this morning.
Potter signed a two-and-a-half-year contract as a replacement for Julen Lopetegui following the Spaniard's dismissal and will receive his first training this afternoon.
He returns to management almost two years after a disastrous spell at Chelsea, which saw him sacked just seven months into his reign at Stamford Bridge.
“When I listen to Pep Guardiola, he says he has something to prove,” Potter said. “If he has something to prove, we all do. That's the reality.
'Professional sport means that you have something to prove every day. It pushes you forward. I feel comfortable in my own skin, I feel comfortable with who I am and what I have done. It is clear that no one is perfect.
“Life is about taking the successes and accepting the setbacks and accepting the defeats and accepting the mistakes or whatever you want to call it and dealing with them and making you stronger. That's part of who we are.
“You as journalists will be the same. You're not going to write everything brilliantly and sometimes a piece might not be that good and you think about that and say, “Okay, maybe I can do something better.” It's just how it is.
'But I think I'm a better person now because of the experience, a better coach because of the experience and well rested.
'Twelve years of non-stop football coaching in three different countries, climbing from the fourth level to the last eight of the Champions League. It's not free, so the breaks have been good for me. It gives me a chance to think.'
Potter admitted he didn't get much sleep on Wednesday night as negotiations on his deal, which was announced at 8am on Thursday, were completed.
'It is a proud day to be manager of this great club. It is a great tradition, a great history, a great expectation, a great challenge. It's like Christmas for adults. I didn't sleep well due to excitement. I'm really looking forward to meeting players and supporters.
'It was important that I chose the right option for me at the right time. And as soon as I spoke to this club, it just felt right for me.”
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