Paul Brooker is re-enforcing a reputation with Albion which he would rather not have.

Amazingly the livewire winger made all 26 of his appearances as a substitute in Fulham's promotion campaign under Micky Adams four seasons ago.

Now lightning seems to be striking twice for the Seagulls' birthday boy.

Brooker, 24 on Saturday, has been a regular on the bench since losing his place in extraordinary circumstances at the start of September.

"It was the game against Torquay. We blew them away 6-2 and I haven't started a first team game since then, so it's a little bit strange," he said.

"At the beginning of the season I wasn't playing to my full potential, but then again I don't think the team was playing well either.

"I was dropped after the Torquay game and the team has been flying ever since, so it has been hard to get back in. I've just got to fight for my place again.

"I didn't have the greatest of pre-seasons. Usually I'm sharp, but I couldn't really get my act together and I think that carried into the beginning of the season.

"I had the odd decent game here and there, but on the whole I wasn't very happy with my form.

"I got dropped as a result and I couldn't really complain."

Brooker became the victim of a profitable change in formation as Adams switched from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3.

"Nathan Jones and Gary Hart have done ever so well out wide, with Bobby Zamora down the middle," Brooker acknowledged.

"In the last few weeks the gaffer has tinkered with the system again, so hopefully I can force my way back into the team.

"It's hard when you are on the bench. Although you are part of the squad you want to be playing. When you are getting 15 or 20 minutes you don't feel you have done enough. You want to start every game."

The last time Brooker played a full 90 minutes for the first team was at Lincoln at the end of August.

That would have seemed unthinkable towards the end of last season, when an influential loan spell along with Zamora transformed Albion's fortunes.

Brooker's move from Fulham became permanent in the summer for a £25,000 fee.

His failure to hold down a regular place so far this term emphasises Albion's much-improved strength in depth.

"I am sure whether it be an injury or loss of form for one of the players I will be able to get back in," he said. "The hard bit then is keeping the shirt.

"We have got a very strong squad here at the moment. I think I had the record number of appearances for coming on at Fulham, because we had a strong squad there as well.

"This one is on a par and perhaps a bit better. We've got a lot of players from that Fulham squad anyway, and then there are people like Nathan and Bobby. He will always score goals."

Brooker wants Albion to go one better than Fulham did by lifting the Third Division title.

"I didn't get a championship medal at Fulham," he added.

"That was down to our chairman, Jimmy Hill. We had the best goal difference, but he had the rules changed that season to goals for and we lost the League on that!

"Hopefully this time I can get a championship medal to go with my runners-up one."