Robert Sanchez says the Albion academy should be proud of the graduates who have broken into the first team this season, and the international call-ups that he and Ben White have received this week.
The keeper is guaranteed a spot at the Euros with Spain, while White has been named in England's preliminary squad of 33 players, which will be cut down to 26 ahead of the tournament.
“I am so thankful to the people in the academy,” Sanchez said. “They are the ones that pushed me and got me to the level I am now, playing in the Premier League.
🇪🇸 Increíble.
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) May 24, 2021
Robert Sanchez is going to #EURO2020.#BHAFC 🔵⚪ https://t.co/KtNMPxmAQk
“They gave me the foundations to get into the first team. That’s their job, but the effort every single one of them put in has been amazing and they are seeing that pay off with the boys that are playing in the first team.
“I’ve worked with [goalkeeping coach] Ben [Roberts] for five years now and he also has my huge thanks. He has helped me mentally and physically understand my role.
“He has taught me a huge amount and works hard with me on what I need to improve. We work game-to-game, we analyse the previous match, use it as an opportunity to learn and take that forward.”
While the 23-year-old had all the backing and lessons from his coaches, the intensity of a Premier League game was still a shock to the system.
“Looking back I realised it’s not as easy as it looks! The amount of concentration you need to have is crazy. I was happy with the season, I didn’t think it would end this well when I was sat on the bench at the beginning of the campaign. The way we have created our team and the way we play, I am really happy.
“My concentration has probably been my biggest improvement – trying to find that consistency, not switching off for 100 minutes, that’s what you have to work towards.
“I had loans in League One and Two, they are really hard to play in but those experiences helped me get to the level I am today. The Premier League is so much faster and when you make an error you are punished, it costs a goal. That’s been a learning curve.”