Chris McPhee has cut down a goalscoring pledge and given himself a new look for Albion's visit to Stoke on Saturday.

The Seagulls' fit-again young striker decided enough was enough after vowing months ago not to have a haircut until he hits the target again for the first team.

McPhee's long locks have been trimmed following his comeback from injury in last Saturday's 1-0 home win against Millwall.

His self-styled barber ban came after he broke a bone in a foot last year.

"When I originally did the injury I spoke to my mate and we were just messing about," McPhee explained.

"We said we were not going to cut our hair until I got back in the first team and scored.

"I said he could cut his, because his family were going a little bit loopy, but I managed to carry it on.

"It's been a bit of a talking point in the dressing room. The lads have been giving me a lot of banter, but I'd had enough of it on the training field.

"It's in my eyes all the time, so I decided to have it cut and concentrate on my football."

McPhee, 22, made his first appearance since the end of September against Millwall. He lasted almost an hour before he was substituted.

"It was very surprising," he admitted. "The manager took me aside after training on Friday.

"I have been doing a bit of extra running after training and he said I had a choice, three 800 metre runs or play tomorrow.

"What he wanted from me was to put myself about and give their centre halves a little bit of trouble for 45 minutes.

"I felt I did that. At half-time he asked how I was feeling and I said I thought I had another ten minutes in me."

McPhee was restricted to a 25-minute run-out in the reserves before his second start of the season in place of the suspended Adam Virgo "It's a huge boost," he said. "The manager told me I had done well. Now I will take it on from here and push on for the rest of the season.

"We've got 44 points and we are not giving teams many chances. If we keep on doing that we should get the points we need to stay up or even finish in mid-table.

"We want to be safe as quickly as possible."

McPhee will be trying to cut Stoke's formidable defence down to size at the Britannia Stadium with his first goal since Boxing Day 2003, when he was on target in a home win over Wycombe.