Mathew Ryan has revealed how his debut season at Albion helped him feel at home in the World Cup.

But he would have loved the chance to have made a headline-grabbing save or two in Russia.

Ryan is back in training with Albion refreshed by a three-week break after the World Cup.

He was part of an Australia side who were unlucky to be edged out by eventual champions France and who drew with Denmark.

But who then lost 2-0 to Peru to end hopes of going through to the knockout stages.

Ryan was helpless against the five goals which went past him and did not have too many saves to make.

He loved the experience and felt like he belonged to a greater degree than when he went to Brazil with the Socceroos in 2014.

A season in which you save a Wayne Rooney penalty, or deny Mo Salah one-on-one in front of the Kop, or keep a clean sheet against Manchester United will do that for you.

Ryan told The Argus: “As a footballer being at a tournament like that, there’s nothing better.

“There are lot of similarities to playing here in the Premier League.

“The World Cup is probably even more hyped and everything is amplified even more being how special, it is and only coming around every four years.

“It was a bit frustrating with the pattern of the games.

“The busiest period I had was probably the first 15 or 20 minutes of that France game.

“I made a couple of, in my opinion, standard saves.

“I thought throughout the whole tournament I was solid and composed without having done anything spectacular and not having much opportunity to keep the goals out that we let in.

“It was a little bit frustrating I couldn’t make a big save to help the team.

“At the end of the day I’m only human and there were some good goals and some unlucky goals.

“There were two deflections, a penalty, a VAR controversy and two good goals, two good strikes – the Peru goal and the Eriksen strike.

“It wasn’t meant to be unfortunately but we will learn a lot from the experience again.

“In hindsight I think it was a big improvement for me from my first World Cup experience to my second.

“In terms of the level of play it’s of the highest calibre and very comparable to the Premier League.

“I knew that coming here to Brighton.

“It was part of the reason I wanted to come to a club and this league, to prepare me for tournaments like this.

“There is no doubt coming here gave me that experience which I feel is vital in preparing for a tournament like that.”

Asked whether a Premier League season had improved his game mentally more than technically, he replied: “It’s a bit of both.

“It’s being at ease when you go against the world’s best players and best teams.

“I have found that, when I have proved I can be successful against a big player or a big team, saving a shot against this person, and then do it consistently over a season, it just becomes second nature.

“In my first World Cup, I had played in Belgium.

“All due respect to the league there but I came into that World Cup in Brazil without the experience of playing against big opponents or teams.

“I think it plays on your mind a little bit more that you are playing against this or that player.

“This last World Cup, I was used to coming up against big players and big teams. You’re focussing on the ball and trying to keep it out rather than who’s shooting it.

“That’s down to experience at the highest level.

“Ever since that first World Cup, I just wanted to get into a club environment where I was going to be up against that.

“I felt that was where I was going to grow as a goalkeeper and a person.

“I could look back one day at my career and I’d have the best memories.”

Ryan, who was supported by 27 members of his family in Russia, walked away thinking the Aussies could have done a bit more.

He said: “Everyone talks of how well we did but at the end of the day we didn’t get the results we needed.

“That’s the difference at the highest level.

“It’s those little moments throughout games, and the games inside a game, which are the most determining factor in matches like this.

“We weren’t clinical enough in hurting teams in the way they hurt and punish us.

“We deserved to be where we were, being knocked out in the group stage.

“It was a bit unfortunate we couldn’t have been a bit more clinical and concede a couple of goals fewer.

“But we’re challenging ourselves as a nation against quality opposition “ Now it is back to club duty. Ryan is training and is likely to get game time when Albion play friendlies against Portsmouth (behind closed doors) and Charlton on Tuesday.

He said: “I got three weeks holiday in total.

“I’m not complaining. It’s more than I’ve had at other clubs “It’s nice to have downtime and relax.

“I managed to get to Canada and see a friend and back to Australia for a couple of weeks to see friends and family.

“I’m feeling good. I can take more holiday and rest when I retire one day!”