BRIGHTON A FAMILIAR PLACE FOR KOMPANY

Clarets boss looks ahead to this Saturday’s trip to the coast

Manager Vincent Kompany has several memories of coming up against this weekend’s opponents Brighton & Hove Albion from his illustrious playing career and plenty of high praise for the Seagulls’ rise through the football pyramid.

The Burnley boss first came up against the Albion for the first time in a League Cup fixture at the Withdean Stadium back in 2008 with the Seagulls a League One side at the time, Kompany reflected on that in Thursday’s press conference.

 “Funnily enough, one of my first League Cup games in the country was also at Brighton, at their athletics stadium at the time, before they moved to the arena.

“To get through the leagues, they’ve had an idea a long time before they got into the Premier League.

“Of course, they’ve had healthy backing but healthy ideas as well and if I look at what they’ve become today, it probably started when we played against them at their athletics pitch.

“That’s what successful projects are all about, that vision and that dedication. What they are today, it doesn’t surprise me they not only recruit players, they produce players and coach players as well because they’ve had very good coaches over the years. Operationally they are a very successful club.”

Kompany played his last ever game for Manchester City in May 2019 and that was a trip to the Amex Arena as City lifted the Premier League title on the south coast on the final day of the season.

“It’s funny because they’ve become one of the top sides now in the league.

“I remember playing against them in my last ever game about four years ago and the progress they’ve made since then is incredible.

“They stayed up, maybe on the last day of the season or the game before that, but we won the title there so that was my last game there.

“I think we had 90 per cent of the ball or whatever and it was a game we were expected to win, but if you look at the progress they’ve made since, they’ve managed to establish themselves in every way possible as one of the top teams in this division.

“That’s due to many things behind the scenes as well.”