Graham Potter laughs off online 'ridicule' ahead of West Ham United's clash versus Everton

Football fans might've seen more of Graham Potter this week than they ordinarily would have liked thanks to an online trend sweeping social media sites.

The West Ham boss is the subject of hundreds of 'faceswaps', whereby the Premier League manager's face has been superimposed onto an image of a celebrity or famous individual, which in some cases has had hilarious consequences.

Images have been shared far and wide across the internet during the past week, as West Ham fans initially poked fun at their first-team boss.

West Ham boss Graham Potter 'aware of' faceswap trend

As the trend began to gain traction, supporters of other clubs have jumped on the bandwagon, creating edited images of their own which feature the Hammers boss.

Ahead of West Ham's fixture with Everton on Monday night, Potter was asked by a BBC London journalist at the club's pre-match press conference whether he was aware of the trend.

"I am [aware], yes," Potter replied with a smile. "It made my 15-year-old son laugh a lot," he added.

Whilst some of the images have seen Potter's features superimposed onto the faces of infamous figures from the past, others have taken on a more lighthearted feel, placing the Hammers manager at pivotal points in history or replacing the faces of notable football people.

"You have to accept what comes with it. It's criticism, it's at times ridicule, but that's just the environment we're in. It is what it is."

Potter refused to be drawn on a 'favourite' faceswap he has featured in, insisting he has more important matters to be thinking about ahead of Monday night's fixture.

"I haven't given it too much thought," he said. "You can imagine I've got a few more important things to think about than that. But, as I said, it is what it is, you have to deal with those things."

West Ham are in the relegation zone after five matches this season with Potter's job coming under increasing scrutiny from the club's fans.

Defeat against Everton could spell the end of the manager's tenure in East London with Hammers executives reportedly having been in talks with Slaven Bilić and Nuno Espirito Santo about replacing Potter in the dugout.