Club legend Bruno has thanked Graham Potter and the rest of his staff for helping make a smooth transition from player to coach.
The Spaniard hung up his boots at the end of last season having made 235 appearances since joining the Seagulls from Valencia in 2012.
He was offered a place in Potter’s coaching team and has played an integral part, alongside the head coach and his assistants Bjorn Hamberg and Billy Reid, as Albion secured a fourth season in the Premier League.
Reflecting on his first season as a coach Bruno, 39, said, “I miss playing but when you make that transition from player to coach you maintain the same routines of your day and I think that was really important for me.
“But it has been amazing and I have learned so much from Graham, Bjorn and Billy. I feel really grateful for how smoothly my transition from a player to a member of the coaching staff has been.
“They have been good to me personally. They share everything. I am in a privileged position because they put their trust in a person they had not met before. That shows the type of people they are.”
Bruno’s role includes passing on his experience of the club he joined eight years ago and the city itself.
“As a coach you are always try to make players comfortable, to make them feel they belong to the club and enjoy living in the city,” he added.
“If can pass on my experience and if it helps them deal with different situations I think it it can be very useful.”
Albion are back next week to start preparing for the new Premier League campaign which kicks off on September 12 but Bruno offered an honest assessment of the season just finished, which ended with Albion securing a club record 41 points and 15th place having started Project Restart fixtures just two points above the relegation zone.
“I was so proud with how the boys coped with the lockdown,” he said. “The shape they came in physically when we started training again was outstanding. They were ready to go. Having sessions of just five at training to start which is not perfect but their commitment made me proud of them as one of their coaches.
“We had the belief that if stuck to our philosophy we would be rewarded and it finished with a record points of 41 for the club. At Burnley, in the final game, we played our best football after lockdown. I know the pressure was off by then, but it was still very good to see.”