John Potter has cited Raith Rovers ‘massive potential’ after outlining ambitions to help the club return to the Scottish Premiership.
Potter has been unveiled as the Kirkcaldy side’s first-ever technical director bidding to get all the elements of the football department ‘working closer together.’
News of Potter’s appointment was released by Rovers 24 hours after the club’s new general manager Dean McKenzie and CEO Andrew Barrowman met the media.
They have ambitious plans to reignite the Kirkcaldy club and increase gates.
And the new investors hope to restore the club’s place at the top.
Raith haven’t been in the top flight since they were relegated in 1997.
But Potter believes they are one of Scottish football’s sleeping giants and can end their 26-year exile amongst the elite sides.
“There’s massive potential and that’s why I came,” Potter told Raith Rovers TV.
“I had a few different opportunities and job offers I could have went for.
“But when I heard about this I was sold.
“I felt it was a real chance for me. It’s an exciting role. There is massive potential for this club.
“There’s no reason why it can’t go on and get to the Premier League and become a sustainable club. That’s where we want to get to.”
John Potter on Raith Rovers recruitment strategy
Potter’s role at Raith will be wide-reaching.
He will be in charge of developing the club’s long-term football strategy.
Potter will oversee recruitment, medical, analysis, sport science and player pathway.
With a wealth of previous coaching and managerial experience at Sunderland, Hibernian, Dunfermline and Kelty Hearts, Potter will step into the new role.
Ian Murray and Colin Cameron will remain in charge of the first team.
And Potter added: “My job is to bring everything at the football department together.
“That involves recruitment, scouting, analysis, performance, making them the best they can be for Raith.
“In recruitment, we’ll profile players in terms of physicality, age, hunger, desire to improve and leadership qualities.
“We’ll be looking at other teams who have been successful in this league and working out how they have been successful.
“But there are a lot of teams going for the same players.
“That’s why we’ll need to think out of the box and look for ones who are hungry and want to improve.
“They’ll have to be passionate for the club and buy into the culture we are going to create.
“They have to be enthusiastic at their work every day.
“Those types of players are important to me and I know they are to Ian and Colin too.
“We will look at players who want to come to Raith for the right reasons – to help the club be successful.
“At the same time, they can be successful themselves and potentially get sold on.
“If we can flip players who come here and do well, moving on because of that, then we’ll be happy with that.
“But hopefully we can also keep them here and be successful.”
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