Jurgen Locadia has described his move to Albion from PSV Eindhoven as a "life changing moment".

It could also be a season defining moment for the club he has joined.

The Seagulls have invested around £9 million, rising to a record £14 million with additional clauses, on the striker who will be in the No.25 shirt worn with such distinction by goalscoring legend Bobby Zamora (below).

The Argus: Locadia, once he recovers from a hamstring injury, will carve his own niche if he can add a different attacking dimension and score the goals that keep Albion in the Premier League.

He is under no illusions about the scale of the task confronting him in trading the top of Eredivisie - PSV are five points clear of Ajax after winning at Heracles on Sunday - for the mad scramble for safety in the bottom half of the table.

"It's a different type of pressure," Locadia said. "At PSV they expect you to play for the Championship, here they want to stay in the Premier League. It's a new experience for me.

"The tempo (is the main difference). The speed of the game and I think the system too. In Holland, we play a traditional four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers and in England it's more four-four-two. I think that will be a big change for me."

And the defenders he will be up against?

"They'll be more experienced and bigger, faster, stronger," Locadia said. "It takes a lot to score a goal but I know I have the faith and belief in myself, so I know I can do it, but it will take time to learn the competition, my team-mates and also get some experience."

Time is not on Albion's side. Midfielder Dale Stephens remarked after Saturday's 4-0 defeat by Chelsea, watched by Locadia, that they are running out of games.

There are still 14 left, more than a third of the season. The figure reduces for winnable games but Locadia is accustomed to facing big challenges in his life.

He was without a father when he was a toddler, after the family emigrated from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao.

It was a struggle for them. His mother had no driving licence and could not afford a car. Locadia used to travel with his mum and three younger sisters by train when he was a youth prospect with Emmen and Willem II.

"We had no money and minimal resources," Locadia said in an interview with the PSV magazine. "I always remember what she (his mother) has done for me.

"We were sometimes hungry. As a child you grow up quickly if your family is suffering. That hurt me and, as the only man in the family and the eldest of four, I felt a duty to my mother and sisters. I blamed myself. Meanwhile, I have forgiven myself for that time."

Locadia's career took off once he joined PSV, after spells at Emmen and Willem II. He progressed through the youth ranks into the first team at the age of 18.

In five-and-a-half seasons at the Philips Stadion he played in the Champions League (including appearances against Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, below) and in the Europa League.

The Argus: He scored 45 goals with 34 assists in 82 Eredivisie starts and 45 substitute outings, four of them in one game against Utrecht, nine in 15 outings this season.

The hamstring injury he sustained against Ajax last month delayed the deal with Albion, which would otherwise have been done earlier in the January transfer window.

Locadia said: "The youth academy at Willem II is different to the youth academy at PSV. At the moment I started with PSV my life changed directly, more serious. Football became more relevant for me.

"I made my debut in 2012. I was in PSV youth, came when I was 16.

"It was hard (to leave) but then it's the right moment. I'm 24 now, I've played a lot of games, a lot of experience.

"I like the vision of the coach. I know Davy Propper. I played with him for two seasons for PSV. I think it's a warm club, like PSV. It's the right moment for me now to step up to the Premier League."

The Argus: Locadia's departure is a blow to cash-strapped PSV and their manager Philip Cocu, the former Barcelona midfielder and Dutch World Cup stalwart (above centre).

Cocu said: "He came very young, as a 16-year-old, already a first team selection, and now he is one of the defining players. But the club has financial reasons for this transfer."

Locadia is likely to be out until at least the visit to Stoke on February 10 before exhibiting his "power and strength, good shot with both feet".

He added: "I'm a goalscorer. I like scoring goals and I won't stop. I didn't expect this to come right now. It's new and I'm really excited to start.

"I'm excited about the tempo, the fans and stuff like that. It's going to be fun."