Albion manager Mark McGhee today urged goalkeeping prospect Richard Martin to stick with the Seagulls, rather than becoming a back number at Liverpool.

McGhee believes the 16-year-old from Burgess Hill could soon be in first team contention if he accepts the offer of a scholarship with Albion.

The Argus revealed on Monday that Liverpool want to take Martin for a week-long trial with a view to a permanent move.

Albion could expect compensation of at least £200,000 if Martin, a Liverpool supporter, ends up at Anfield but McGhee is keen to keep hold of him.

"We have put forward a reasonable argument to the boy and to his parents as to why we think he should stay here," McGhee said.

"The thing we can promise him at a club like ours, like any other young player in any other position, is that if he is good enough he will be fast-tracked into the first team or certainly onto the bench.

"If he goes to Liverpool there is no chance of that happening. At the very best he is going to spend two or three years at youth level, then at reserve level and in five years time he might start to make an impression in the first team squad.

"By that time he would have played 200 games for us and be worth a lot of money and move to Liverpool under different circumstances.

"That really is a credible argument as to why he should stay here, particularly as he is a boy who wants to play first team football as quickly as possible. That is not going to happen to him at Liverpool."

Veteran goalkeeping coach John Keeley was between the posts for an otherwise young Albion Reserves side in a 2-0 defeat by Queens Park Rangers at Northwood last night.

Coach Dean White said: "It's a funny game. We actually played better than when we won 5-3 at Peterborough last week."