HE’S A KNOCKAERT
Keeper David Stockdale on the impact of his Brighton team-mate
IN A PARALLEL universe, Anthony Knockaert is still the toast of Leicester while Riyad Mahrez plays out his career in the backwaters of French football.
In reality, the Foxes’ original whippet winger could not fully capitalise on the chance to buckle up for Leicester’s Premier League joyride – and how he must regret that now.
But, having landed back in Britain at the start of this year after a six-month mistake with Standard Liege, Knockaert is now the life and soul of the Seagulls’ promotion push, according to Brighton keeper David Stockdale.
Knockaert, who is still held in the highest regard at King Power Stadium, chose to wind down his contract after barely being used during a season in which Leicester survived Premier League relegation by a hair’s breadth.
Character
Everyone from Gary Lineker to Andrea Bocelli knows what happened next, but Knockaert returned to these shores with a burning point to prove in January.
And, with three goals from as many games heading into yesterday’s clash with Newcastle, the 24-year-old is already helping to bury last season’s play-off agony on the south coast.
He’d go down as the perfect signing – if only his teammates could find the mute button once in a while.
“Off the pitch he’s lively, a great character,” said Stockdale with a grin. “You’ve got to learn to live with him, not in a bad way. Just that he’s always on the go, like a Duracell battery, and you can’t shut him up. You just give him a hug, put another 10p in and off he goes.
“He keeps going and turning. You just don’t get people that can stop him on the pitch. He’s a massive part for us, but he’ll be the first to say it’s not about individuals for us. Last year was a big team effort and it’s the same again this year but players that perform like he does should get the accolades for it.” While the manner of that playoff defeat to Sheffield Wednesday still sticks in the craw, Stockdale insists his side have entered the new campaign focusing on what they did manage to achieve. A two-goal swing decided automatic promotion in Middlesbrough’s favour and anything near a repeat campaign this time would likely end in success. “We all came in and said we’ll use last year as an advantage for us,” explained Stockdale. “Let’s take the positives. We got 89 points, ahead of Derby, Hull and Sheffield Wednesday, and we still got written off until the last day of the season. “We’ve written history books in Brighton for the way we did the 21 games unbeaten. I think we were 14 unbeaten until the Sheffield Wednesday game and we’re the first team since Manchester United not to go up having lost only five games.
“We were the highest scorers in the league so there’s not a lot you can improve on.
Bullish
“It was great to be involved and we were that close to writing proper history in Brighton.
“Having not been in the Premier League before, it felt more as if we were not just trying to get promoted but bringing the Premier League to the south.”
Aside from surprise package Huddersfield, Brighton have looked as lively as any other team so far this season. Prior to this weekend, they had scored 16 goals in all competitions.
And no-one is more bullish about their chances than Stockdale.
“I think we're going to win the league every year,” he said.
“We're going to score two more goals than last year, or one more point. I'd take that right now, 90 points.”