BRIGHTON ROCK

Webster: I’ve worked my whole life to get into the Prem.. I’m buzzing that we will be there next season

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BRIGHTON should have enjoyed a huge party at the Amex Stadium this week to celebrate staying up.

Instead they’ll reflect on a season that has seen them maintain their status as a Premier League club and unearth a rising star in Adam Webster.

Yet Webster, who has formed a rocksolid partnership with Lewis Dunk at the back, says all the acclaim should go to Brighton as a club rather than individual players because of the way they behaved during lockdown.

“The way the club acted during the lockdown period was brilliant,” said Webster. “As players it was great for us because you want to be involved in a club doing the right things off the pitch and Brighton most definitely did that.

“Everyone has stuck together and shown what the club is about really.

“But it was frustrating we could not celebrate staying up with our fans.”

Brighton supported community campaigns during the lockdown and that strength and unity was also evident in performances on the pitch.

The Seagulls now go to Burnley on the final day of the season with their topflight future secured. For Webster, the campaign fulfilled a lifelong ambition to play in the Premier League. And he was desperate not to end it by slipping through the relegation trap-door.

The 25-year-old, said: “I’ve worked my whole life to get into the Premier League and I’m absolutely buzzing that we’ve stayed up. I want to stay in the Premier League as long as I can.

“I’m just buzzing that we’re going to be in the Premier League for another year. We’ll be looking to build on this season because we don’t want to be fighting relegation every year.

“We want to eventually get into the top 10, an established club.

“We’ve got a short break now but I’ll be raring to go when we come back and I hope to really improve next year.”

Webster has enjoyed the first season in the top flight and, in particular, being given the chance to build from the back under Brighton boss Graham Potter.

And while he admits stadiums will never be the same without fans, he says it does have some advantages. For instance, make a mistake while trying to play out from the back and right now there are no fans waiting to slaughter you.

“We want the fans in the stadiums because the fans make football,” said Webster. “But the fans do get nervous, and sometimes that can have an effect on the players.

“If a mistake does happen when the manager is asking us to play out from the back, he is fully taking that responsibility on his shoulders and he won’t be hammering you for it.”

Webster highlighted two opposing strikers who perhaps fly largely under the radar.

“Playing against the likes of Kane, Aguero, Salah and Firmino has been a great experience,” he said. “Everyone wants you to say Aguero is the best, but the chances are he doesn’t touch the ball that much when you play against him.

“Dominic Calvert-lewin of Everton might be involved a lot more for his team and Raul Jimenez of Wolves is a very good striker.”

HIGH FLIER Webster has been outstanding playing next to Lewis Dunk GRAHAM POTTER says Brighton will welcome every penny of prize money as they battle to absorb the financial impact of coronavirus. The Seagulls could leapfrog West Ham to finish 15th if they win at Burnley and, with £2million prize-money riding on each place in the final table, Potter (above) is keen to top up their cash float. The Brighton manager believes prizemoney is more valuable than ever this year. “Finances have been challenged throughout football,” he said, “and we’re the same as everybody else – if we can finish in a better position, which means we can get a bit more money, then that’s great for us. That’s what we’re trying to do.”