Albion will have to be at full throttle for all 38 matches in the Premier League.

That is the warning from former No.1 Mark Beeney, now Chelsea's goalkeeping academy chief.

Beeney, whose sale to Leeds in 1993 saved the Seagulls from closure by the taxman, said: "When I left Brighton and went to Leeds I thought it wasn't going to be that difficult. I can assure you when you go to the top level it really is.

"One thing Steve Sidwell (Albion midfielder) said to us when he was at Chelsea is that at Fulham he could afford to have the odd day off in training.

"When he turned up at Chelsea he said he had to be 100 per cent on it every day. That's what they will need next season to compete at that level, every game to be at 100 per cent, every training session, because the difference in the levels is massive."

David Stockdale, Albion's current No.1, has rejected a new contract.

The 31-year-old Yorkshireman has been the subject of persistent links with a move to Chelsea as No.2 since the start of the year.

Beeney said: "He's got loads of experience, he's made plenty of really important saves and a massive thing for all goalkeepers is he doesn't make many mistakes. That's what managers want, consistency, and he had that this season so fair play to him."