An England stalwart who has since become one of the most exciting young managers in the country; it’s time to meet the new manager of Crystal Palace women.
An England stalwart who has since become one of the most exciting young managers in the country; it’s time to meet the new manager of Crystal Palace women.
Jo Potter has joined the Eagles following a highly successful two-year stint in charge of Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers.
Here is Potter’s journey so far, from a Women's World Cup in Canada, to an array of silverware north of the border.
Originally from Mansfield, Potter began her footballing career at the Chesterfield centre of excellence, before crossing the border into South Yorkshire to join Sheffield Wednesday at the age of 17.
From there she impressed Birmingham City, joining in 2003, for the first of three spells with the Blues.
Potter also represented England for the first time at an international tournament, in the 2003 Under-19s European Championships. Alongside future Lionesses such as Alex Scott, Fara Williams and Eni Aluko, she featured in a talented team who reached the semi-final stage.
Her first caps for the senior team followed in 2004, with Potter featuring in back-to-back friendlies against the Netherlands in the England midfield.
With her early promise putting her on the radar of other clubs, Potter moved to the all-conquering Arsenal team for the following season. The Gunners won both the FA Cup and the Women’s Premier League that season, Potter coming off the bench in the final win of the former – a 3-0 success against Charlton.
However, as she was unable to secure a regular starting spot with the North London side she moved back to Birmingham the following summer.
After spending time at various clubs including Charlton Athletic, Everton and Leicester City, a third return to the Blues in 2011 led to one of best spells of Potter’s career.
Moving into a more central role, the midfielder made over 100 appearances in total for the Blues across five years. This included the highlight of her domestic career, starting in midfield as Birmingham twice came from behind to win the FA Cup with a penalty shootout at Ashton Gate.
The resurgence at Birmingham saw Potter back in the England squad in 2014, returning for a 4-0 win over Sweden in Hartlepool.
Then England manager Mark Sampson would subsequently select Potter for the Lionesses squad at the 2015 FIFA World Cup in Canada.
The midfielder started – and excelled – in the 1-0 third-place play-off win over rivals Germany, which secured a bronze medal and was regarded as a major breakthrough for the England team.
She would remain part of the regular Lionesses squad over the next two years and would also go to the European Championships in Netherlands in 2017, where England would once again reach the semi-finals before losing to the host nation.
After spells in the WSL with both Notts County and Reading towards the latter stages of her career, Potter would call time on her playing days in January 2021 aged 36.
Later admitting she had always had her sights set on coaching post-football, Potter was assistant manager at former club Birmingham, working alongside Darren Carter.
After just a year in that role she was selected by Rangers to become the new manager at the Scottish giants – and would deliver silverware in her very first season.
Playing a vibrant style of football, Potter led the Blue Belles to both the Scottish Cup and League Cup in the 2023/24 season.
In fact, she was only a point away from completing a remarkable domestic treble. Celtic and Rangers both finished level on 82 points – but the green half of Glasgow took the title on goal difference.
Potter’s side again impressed last season, losing just five league games all season. However, they were again denied the championship on the final day for a second straight year, with Hibernian finishing top.
The cups were a different story. Rangers thrashed Hibs 5-0 in the final of the League Cup in March, before a 3-0 win over Glasgow City confirmed a cup ‘double double’ for the Blue Belles.
Potter arrives in South London with a strong track record of success – both as a player, and now as a manager.
She’ll now be looking to lead the Eagles to a successful campaign in the 2025/26 WSL2, her first managerial role in English football.
