Ed Turns says he’s ready to be the defender that Roberto De Zerbi wants him to be.
The 19-year-old was named in our Premier League squad to face Tottenham on Saturday, the first time he has made the squad since last December.
Ed is delighted to have impressed his new head coach so early into his reign.
“Roberto hasn’t been here very long, but I feel like I’ve made a positive impression on him, I think he’s taken a liking to me which is brilliant – you can’t ask for much more.
“He has that trust in me and that makes me more confident in my ability, on the training pitch that helps me.
“Training has been very intense. Roberto has been very specific about what he wants and that’s good because nobody is getting confused. We’ve been working on patterns and the way he wants us to work in and out of possession. There’s lots of running, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
“I like the way he sets up, it suits the way I play. It’s positive for me that he’s come in and introduced that style because it’s my game too.
“At Brighton we’re encouraged to be brave on the ball in the academy, to deal with being put under pressure. I am ready to be the centre-half he wants me to be.”
Turns gets to work with a familiar face when he makes the step up to first team training, following Andrew Crofts’ promotion to work with the senior squad.
“He’s not your mate, but going into the first team environment Crofty is a familiar face so you feel more comfortable. He is a great guy and a good coach and he makes you feel confident. He’s a great person to have around.
“He’s a bit more relaxed because he’s not the [under-21s] head coach, but I know Crofty as I’ve worked with him for a number of years now. He’s a relaxed guy until you lose 3-0 on a Saturday afternoon! But he gets the job done.”
Crofts wasn’t the only coach to get a promotion recently, as Shannon Ruth was appointed under-21s head coach.
“I am really happy for Shan. I have played under him a lot in the under-21s, we have a really good relationship. He deserves the opportunity.
“He is more than capable of being really successful in that role and helping us get to a really good place.
“The same applies to Crofty, everyone loves working with him so I was over the moon to see him make the step up to the first team.”