David Stockdale is a loud, proud product of Leeds - and a massive influence inside Albion's dressing room.

The in-form goalkeeper is galvanising the quest to reach the Premier League with his mouth as well as his hands.

Stockdale assumed the role of captain for the thumping victory which put Albion's automatic promotion challenge in the Championship immediately back on track.

The former Fulham shot-stopper, together with his team-mates, suffered a rare blip in form in the 4-1 thrashing at Cardiff after key saves in the win at home to Bolton and draw at Hull.

Stockdale took the bull by the horns at a pivotal moment in the Seagulls' season. They bounced straight back with a stunning 4-0 win at Bristol City, the platform to close on the leaders again in tonight's clash at the Amex against his home city club.

Albion's larger-than-life No. 1 said: "I shout and talk, I'll have a laugh. The gaffer has to tell me to shut up most of the time. It kind of just comes naturally.

"I said to Bruno before the Bristol game 'I'm taking this team talk'. I said what I had to say and luckily the lads took it on board.

"Liam (Rosenior) likes to tell us how much he loves us and Bruno will tell us to relax, tranquilo. GG (Gordon Greer) shouts at you. That's the way he deals with it, the way he gets himself motivated, and it works.

"It's a strange thing to put these different things together. I'll be the one to get stuck in and say you need a bit of ba***, pride, passion and belief, then Liam will cuddle you and tell you he loves you. He's all flowers and peace man. He was born at the wrong time!

"That's what gets him going. Put all those bits together and it comes up with a result like that."

A result Stockdale, 30, would love to emulate this evening, against the club that destroyed his boyhood dream of playing for them but who he still adores with a deep-rooted passion.

Stockdale was 12 when he had an unsuccessful trial with Leeds. He said: "It was just a dream to go to Thorp Arch (training ground), the first time I had been.

"I wasn't good enough to get into Leeds at that time. They were bringing some unbelievable goalkeepers and players through the system.

"That's football, you've got to keep trying. I went home, I might have cried for a few hours, because it's your team. If someone dangles that carrot you want to do it.

"It was not to be but I've still got those fingers crossed. One day I'll pull that shirt on.

"I played for Leeds city boys, the city schools. You got free tickets to sit in the highest stand in the world and take your binoculars with you.

"I remember joking with Sami Hyypia, because I watched Mark Viduka score four goals against Liverpool.

"You always have those memories. I was in the pub with my dad watching the semi-finals of the Champions League against Valencia. You don't forget those things or the team that played.

"My wife's mum and dad are good friends with Gary Kelly's family. If you are Leeds you are Leeds, nobody can take that away from you.

"It gives you goose bumps, even sitting here now. I played at Elland Road and got clapped by the Kop who tell people to go away! It was a special moment."

 

Stockdale has a 100 per cent record against Leeds, beating them with Leicester, Ipswich and three times in two seasons with Albion.

A continuation of the sequence tonight will cause more family feuding. He said: "I played for Leicester against Leeds and we got promoted. Steve Howard scored against Casper (Ankergren) and I might have run the full length of the pitch to celebrate.

"It didn't go down well with the father-in-law, so he didn't speak to me for three or four days, which is good and bad. Then against Ipswich I got a box for the family.

"We don't normally do things like that. At Leeds you're in the crowd and get a beer. He didn't talk to me after the game. He was booing me and stuff in the box. It's just how it is, you accept it, because it's Leeds.

"I love it. My phone's on fire, people asking me to let a couple in to do them a favour. If we win I'll be getting more texts afterwards but it's all in good heart. Leeds fans know where you're from."

Stockdale, an inconsistent member of Hyypia's strugglers last season, continued his lead role for Albion with some pre-penalty kidology at Bristol as substitute Kieran Agard blazed a late spot-kick against the bar to protect his 11th clean sheet of the campaign.

"I hope I don't have to make another save for the rest of the season but that's not going to happen," he said. "I'm just going to do my job, get on with it, smile, because these are the times you've got to savour.

"I love being in this position. Last year was awful for all of us. It's nice to be sat here after 33 games smiling. We go again, get ready for Leeds United and all get a hug from Liam."