The 19-year-old netted his first Premier League goal against Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the league, as well as making his senior international debut, and the boss spoke about the drive and determination he sees in the forward ahead of today's game with Aston Villa.
He said, “That desire and determination is a positive thing, he wears his heart on his sleeve, we have to remember he’s still starting out – if we expect him to be the perfect and finished player now then we’re being a bit unfair on him.
“He’s the type of person who’ll show his emotions. He’ll have a lot of attention now and he’s a good lad with a good family – my impression of him is a level-headed individual who knows the opportunity he has.
“It’s about trying to remain consistent, hard-working and humble at all times – he’s in a good dressing room here with lads who will look after him and we’ll do our best to nurture him through.”
Connolly was involved in both of his country’s European Championship qualifiers against Georgia and Switzerland last week, and the head coach spoke about the importance of managing his minutes on the field as the season progresses.
“We have to manage his game time, you never know how things can go, but we have to remember that he’s still only 19 years old and has made both his Premier League and full international debut recently,” Potter continued.
“He’s had a lot of excitement and exposure, but he can deal with that – it’s more the way in which he plays football and the way he sprints around and gives everything.
“You have to be sure that he can always contribute, he can influence a game at different stages. I watched the second game he played in [against Switzerland] and was delighted to see both him and Shane [Duffy] out on the field.
“It wasn’t an easy game to go into, but it’s a vital experience which he’ll learn from and become better as a result.”
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Potter also praised the impact of Neal Maupay to date when he met the media on Thursday afternoon, with the Frenchman having already found the back of the net three times this season.
“We’re delighted that he’s part of our group and he’s started with some goals so far - that’s a big thing for a forward player who’s making the step up from another league.
“There is always an adaptation period you have to go through, he didn’t play any pre-season games either, and so I feel like there is more to come from him.
“He’s building up his match minutes in the Premier League, and that’s not an easy thing to do, the stronger he becomes the more he’ll be suited to the division – but he’s a great lad who’s settled in really well.”