Mark McGhee has revealed how his predecessor and other contacts within the game helped convince the Scot that Albion is the right club for him.

Steve Coppell was among the people McGhee spoke to about taking charge of the Seagulls.

Coppell angered fans by leaving for Reading but when McGhee picked his brains Albion's ex-boss was full of compliments.

"In terms of the club itself, Steve and other people I have spoken to had nothing but admiration, praise and good things to say about the people who work at the club in all sorts of areas, so that was reassuring," said McGhee.

"I spoke to one or two people I know who know the scene down here and the team.

"My own representative (Phil Smith) represents some of the players. They were able to fill me in and it was all positive.

"I don't know the players inside out by any means. I have probably learnt more since I thought about taking the job than I knew before, but it won't take me very long.

"A couple of weeks on the training ground and I will know them inside out.

"Bob (Booker) will obviously be a huge help in that respect, telling me about the character and abilities of the players.

"My understanding is they have done quite well. They need to improve a little, obviously on recent results, but in general to maintain the position they are in.

"Maybe over-achieved is the wrong word, but I think they are going to have to improve to be in the top two. That is part of what Bob and I will try to do."

McGhee is in good company with First Artist Corporation PLC.

Other managers they represent include Claudio Ranieri, Graeme Souness and Ronnie Moore.

Smith, the Middlesex-based agency's chief operating officer, has done business with Albion chairman Dick Knight before.

Former Seagulls hero Bobby Zamora and current captain Danny Cullip are among the 400 players First Artist look after.

Their list of clients includes many Premiership stars.

McGhee kept illustrious company as well during a glittering playing career at home and abroad.

"I suppose I'm fortunate that in my career I always played at a high level and worked for top people," he said.

"That applied from my time even as far back as Bristol City, where I was working under John Sillett and Dave Merrington, through to Aberdeen where I had five years under Alex Ferguson.

"At Hamburg I worked under Ernst Happel, who is renowned as one of the greatest coaches ever, and Gunter Netzer, another great German name.

"I had Billy McNeil at Celtic, Jim Smith at Newcastle, all sorts of people. I don't particularly take one thing from each that I can directly associate them with.

"It's more a case that their influence moulds you into what you have become. They've all had an influence on me."

McGhee can only dream about the kind of riches at the disposal of the likes of Ranieri and Ferguson.

Money is tight at Albion, but he is comfortable with the budgetary restrictions and points out that his reputation as a bit of a spendthrift is misleading.

"There has always been a bit of a myth, even when I was at Wolves, about what I have spent," McGhee said. "The reality is in the three and a half years I was at Wolves we laid out something like £8 million for players, but we brought in £7.2 million.

"When I was at Millwall I brought in £3 million and spent something like £300,000, so I have not been profligate.

"I'm prepared to wheel and deal and look for loans and that sort of thing.

"I'm not coming here with great ideas of going out to spend millions of pounds, so it's not a problem."