Albion loan signing Anthony Rougier has revealed the debt of gratitude he owes Dwight Yorke.
Reading's Caribbean frontrunner is full of praise for Yorke for inspiring him to fashion a career in British football.
The former Aston Villa and Manchester United star, now at Blackburn Rovers, paved the way for a sprinkling of players from Trinidad and Tobago to make a name for themselves in England and Scotland.
"I had the opportunity to grow up with a good calibre of players, the likes of Dwight and Russell Latapy, Stern John, Shaka Hislop and Marvin Andrews at Livingston," said Rougier.
"It was always a dream for us to play professional football. To do it from Trinidad was unrealistic, but it so happened that Dwight managed to.
"That built a lot of confidence in my country. He has been a role model for the boys."
Thank the Lord
Yorke is not Rougier's only role model. He is a committed Christian and thanks the Lord for making his footballing dream come true.
"Before I came to Britain I gave my life to Christ," explained Rougier. "I totally believe that everything that happens to me is meant to be for the benefit of the Lord my God.
"I am so grateful his name is what I am all about. I am not here to ram Jesus Christ down people's throats, but my example can prove to people God is the way to go.
"It's very difficult to make a living for yourself, coming from a Third World country of 1.3 million people. Some might say that is a miracle.
"I paid my own way to come to Britain and it was very costly, but it was worth it. For some people it might have been a gamble, but for me I totally believed it would happen.
"Bradford City was the first club I went to when Lennie Lawrence was manager. I signed for them on the basis of getting a work permit, but that did not come through.
"That could have depressed me and sent me home, but I didn't give up. That was my purpose, to be a professional footballer."
Rougier got his break north of the border eight years ago at Stark's Park, home of Raith Rovers.
"It went well at Raith," he said. "We won the Coca Cola Cup and lost to Bayern Munich in the European Cup.
"It was a great experience for me and then moving to Hibernian, Port Vale and Reading."
Rougier was pretty much a regular in his first two seasons at the Madejski Stadium, as the Royals reached the Second Division play-off final then finished runners-up behind Albion last season.
It has been harder for him to command a regular place this term and the arrival of Luke Chadwick on loan from Manchester United heralded his stint with the Seagulls.
Dream start
Rougier could hardly have wished for a better start. He scored his first goal for ten months within three minutes of coming off the bench to secure a vital victory against Millwall at Withdean last Saturday.
The widely travelled 31-year-old already feels very much at home and he is just happy to be back in first team contention.
"Where ever I go in the world beyond Trinidad it's a foreign country for me, but I always believe that football is a universal language," he said.
"From my first day I felt right at home, because I am playing with good players. I've seen that in the times I have played against Brighton. They don't deserve to be where they are in the table.
"I just want to play. The last month or two has been very difficult. It has even been hard for me to sleep sometimes.
"I can relate to football. It's my drug. I love the game so much and this is a fresh start for me.
"I will be keeping an eye out for Reading, because they are my team, but I've got the blinkers on in making sure Brighton are where they ought to be."
Rougier's loan spell will not be interrupted by international commitments with Trinidad and Tobago, who failed to qualify for last summer's World Cup.
"There is a tournament coming up next month to qualify for the Gold Cup in America, but I am not going to be involved in that," he said.
"The tournament itself is in the summer so I might be able to play in that depending on what happens about my future."
Rougier has an open mind about where his career is heading next. He has five more matches with Albion, then Reading want him back, but he is not sure if he wants them.
"Reading have offered me another year," he said. "I haven't accepted it just yet. For me to think properly I need to play. I want to play and see where that takes me.
"They are winning games at the moment, so I cannot point the finger at anybody. But it doesn't matter if it's Ronaldo, David Beckham or Michael Owen, when you are not playing you are not comfortable with that situation.
"If it means leaving Reading to get first team football then I have to do that and hopefully my performances for Brighton will do that for me."
Rougier went down with Raith, Hibernian and Port Vale. He is confident that unhappy relegation knack will not be repeated with Steve Coppell's Seagulls.
"The manager here is experienced and he can teach me a thing or two, so where ever my future lies that will be an asset to me," said Rougier.
"It's going to be hard. We will lose some along the way, but I think we will win more than we lose.
"Who would have thought Sunderland could be playing against us next season?"
That is certainly a more appetising prospect for players and supporters alike than a hike to Hartlepool.
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