Joe Potts Returns As The Goalkeeper Coach for the Liverpool Women

As the Liverpool FC Women’s team is getting preseason underway, Matt Beard is making the last touches to his squad and backroom staff. The manager has returned for his second stint in charge of the Reds, and he has brought quite a few familiar faces back with him.

The most recent addition is Joe Potts, who is returning for a second go around as the goalkeeper coach. Beard first brought Potts on in 2012, where he was the goalkeeper coach for Liverpool’s two WSL titles in 2013 and 2014. Just 29 years of age, Potts already boasts significant coaching experience.

“I was here for six years with Beardy, starting around 2012,” said Potts after he was announced as the new goalkeeper coach. “We obviously had the two league titles as well as a stint in the Champions League. Obviously I was a young coach then so I’ve gained lots more experience and now come full circle and come back again.”

In the time since he left the club back in 2018, Potts coached men’s teams at Salford City and AFC Fylde. Despite moving away from Liverpool for a few years, Potts has kept his relationships with the goalkeeper coaches at the club.

“I’ve got 10 years’ experience in the women’s and men’s game now, as well as good relationships with the other goalkeeping staff at LFC with John [Achterberg] at the first team and Mark [Morris] at the Academy,” said Potts.

“They’ve kept tabs on my coaching career since I left Liverpool, including when I took a year out to travel round clubs, build relationships and speak with other people in my role to gain as much knowledge as possible. It was a very easy decision to come back to work with Beardy, he’s done a lot for me both professionally and personally.”

Potts will have two very strong goalkeepers to work with. He has previously worked with Rachael Laws, who started last season as the number one keeper. Laws will be battling it out with the young Canadian, Rylee Foster, who came in and was sensational at the tail end of last season.

“I know Lawsy well from her first stint here and she’s gained a hell of a lot of experience since then so I’m looking forward to seeing her development,” Potts said.

“She came in on loan back then and did a brilliant job when we needed her in a title-winning team, so she has that experience. I’ve only spoken with Rylee on the phone so far and seen clips but the staff think very highly of both ‘keepers. So I’m looking forward to getting going.”

Laws, Foster, and the rest of the squad will kick off their preseason friendly schedule next Sunday, July 18 against AFC Fylde. The friendly match will just be 60 minutes long, and can be watched on the LFC Women’s facebook and twitter pages, as well as on the LFC YouTube channel and LFCTV.