Taylor Swift helps former Chelsea manager Graham Potter get over sacking

GRAHAM POTTER has opened up on his Chelsea exit and admits Taylor Swift helped him get over the brutal sacking.

The 49-year-old left Brighton for Stamford Bridge two years ago when Thomas Tuchel was axed by Todd Boehly just seven games into the season.

Chelsea forked out a world-record £21.5million to hire Potter and his backroom team.

But the English tactician struggled to impress as Blues chiefs embarked on a fresh £300million transfer splurge in the January window.

Potter ended up winning just 12 of his 31 games at the helm and was sacked in April 2023 with Chelsea in 11th place.

He has since kept a low profile after being linked with several jobs including French side Nice and even Manchester United.

But Potter has now returned to the limelight by revealing how he coped with his Stamford Bridge exit.

He admits watching pop sensation Swift was one way he eased the pain.

While Potter also spent some time with England rugby boss Steve Borthwick.

And the gaffer has even dropped a huge hint over his next job in football after taking up a new hobby.

Potter told The Telegraph: “It’s a bit like a grieving process in a way, it gets better with time. You have to try not to beat yourself up, but you can’t just blame everything on somebody else. 

“I was sacked after seven months of a five-year contract after being taken from Brighton, so there’s all that on a human level you have to deal with.

“I don’t have any regrets over doing it, but, at the same time, when anybody loses their job, there’s an element of frustration, anger and maybe bitterness at some point.

“The most important thing was to be with my family and friends, just connect with them. 

“I spent some time with Steve Borthwick at England Rugby. 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.”

Potter also hinted his next job could be in La Liga after taking Spanish lessons.

He added: “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.

“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.”

However, Potter doesn't seem overly keen on taking the England job should interim Lee Carsley not get it permanently.

He added: “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.”