Meet Moises Caicedo

Moises, welcome to Brighton. How did your move come about?

I have always dreamed of playing in the Premier League and making history and I liked a lot of things about Brighton when I spoke to my agent, I saw that everyone was united and I like the way they play and train. That is what convinced me to come here. It was difficult, because I haven't left Ecuador for many years so it was really tough to leave my family, but they also understand that everything I do is for them.

Tell us about your career in Ecuador.

I was 15 when I started with Independiente del Valle. I come from a town about 100 miles away and from the moment I arrived everyone was so welcoming, from the security guard to the doctor. The club helped me grow as a footballer and a person and always had a lot of belief in me.

What attracted you to the Premier League?

I used to wake up early in the morning to watch the games. Football here is played at a much quicker pace but there are a lot of very talented players in Ecuador and I'm happy to have come from there and take this big step to play in a more competitive league.

I spoke to [former Manchester United player] Antonio Valencia. He said that if you give your all then great things will happen. That stayed with me and I have worked hard to get to this stage of my career.

What is your best position and what are your attributes?

I would describe myself as a No.8, a box-to-box midfielder and a very intelligent player on the pitch who makes good decisions when to attack and when not to. One of my heroes is N'Golo Kante, because he pressures a lot. I also like Paul Pogba because he has great vision and can provide incredible assists. Yet they are also very calm, which is something I have learnt – when to take a shot and when to keep the ball. I think it helps to watch top players if you want to keep improving.

Off the pitch I am a very humble guy who hasn’t forgotten where he's come from and who always remembers the people who helped me grow as a player and a person.

You are the youngest scorer in Ecuador's history, at the age of 18. That must make you feel very proud?

Yes, it happened in my second game for Ecuador, a great moment for me and my family. But I hope this is just the beginning, I want to try and help take Ecuador to the very top and bring joy to my country, that's my dream.

What are your immediate plans now you are at Brighton?

I have been in the country for just over a week isolating. If my COVID-19 test is okay, I hope to start training initially on my own then hopefully with the rest of the squad. I want to earn my place in the team as quickly as possible, but it's down to me. I will be learning English but there are quite a few players in the squad who speak Spanish so I will learn little by little the language and hopefully adapt quickly.

You watched the Spurs game on TV, what did you think?

I was very happy that we won, Brighton played a very good game, they have some incredible players. I must admit when I was watching I started to think and believe that one day I could be there helping my teammates either on the pitch or from the bench. I really enjoyed the game because the team played so well and achieved what they wanted to.