Mathew Ryan could just as easily have been talking about Bruno when discussing Albion's latest signing.

The parallels between the Seagulls' much-loved skipper and Martin Montoya are uncanny.

It is not just that they are both Spanish right-backs brought to England from Valencia.

Montoya and Bruno are also cut from similar cloth in playing style and character.

That is the conclusion to be drawn from goalkeeper Ryan's assessment of Montoya.

The Australian knows him well from their time together at the Mestalla. He acted as go-between in the deadline-beating deal to land Montoya, despite competition from Fulham and two of Valencia's La Liga rivals.

Ryan (below) revealed: "The club try to get as much information as they can about a potential signing.

The Argus: "They asked me what I thought about him. It was all positive things. I think he'll be a great addition to the squad.

"I contacted him and let him know the direction the club is going in, told him about what the club offers and that it is a great club on the rise.

"I guess he obviously liked what he heard. I tried to give him any inside information I could."

Montoya linked up with his new team-mates for the first time in yesterday's annual open training session in front of supporters at the Amex.

His CV is mighty, nearly 70 games for Barcelona as second choice behind Dani Alves, loan spells at Inter Milan and Real Betis, two years with Valencia.

A spot of web scouting unearthed footage on YouTube of Montoya impressing the galaxy of stars at Barcelona by scoring from 30 yards during a training session - into a basketball net.

Ryan remarked of the 27-year-old Catalonian: "First of all there is his professionalism. Like every footballer, he has sacrificed a lot and been dedicated to reach the top.

"On top of that, you can expect a very dynamic-type full-back, loves to get forward, very composed on the ball.

"He also has great skill and a great first touch to keep the ball at his feet, composed in pressure situations to play himself around the opposition.

"At the same time he is very athletic and strong for his size. You might look at his statistics (just under 5ft 9ins) and see he is not the tallest guy in the world but he has a very strong base, very muscular.

"There's no doubt he is strengthening our squad and I think he will be getting a lot of game time."

That could well be starting on Sunday at the Amex against Manchester United (4pm).

The Argus: Bruno (above) is a major doubt for the visit of Jose Mourinho's side with hamstring trouble, which forced the 37-year-old off 26 minutes into the opening defeat at Watford.

Montoya is likely to fit in quickly, not just to the team but the dressing room as well.

Ryan told The Argus: "Away from football he is very settled. He has his wife and two kids. He is very much a family man, taking care of them. He is a very easy-going guy, very approachable.

"He loves a bit of a joke and he's quite competitive around the training ground, playing billiards and table tennis and that sort of stuff. We have that here as well.

"He is an all-round good guy who likes a bit of a laugh. At the same time, when we need to have our minds on the job he is very professional and conducts his work like he needs to.

"I don't have a bad word to say about him and I'm really excited to have him at the club and to see what he can do for us this season."

The Argus: Montoya, Bruno's natural successor, could maintain a long line of successful signings from La Liga by Albion. The list in recent seasons also includes Ryan, Leo Ulloa (above) and Tomer Hemed (Almeria), David Lopez (Athletic Bilbao).

Albion hope Florin Andone (Deportivo La Coruna) will be another.

The Romanian striker, ruled out of all except 45 minutes of pre-season by groin trouble, was put through running drills by a member of the fitness team away from the main groups during yesterday's session.

The United fixture could come too soon for him, at least as a starting option. Bruno and Jose Izquierdo (knee) played no part in the open session but Ryan's absence was due purely to concentrating on recovery and gym work in the long build-up to United's second trip to the Amex in just over three months.

He kept a clean sheet as Albion beat them in May, courtsey of Pascal Gross, to clinch safety with two matches to spare.

A repeat would be the perfect response to the dismal display at Watford.

Ryan said: "After a disappointment, any game is a good game to have. You just want to get out on that pitch again and right the wrong.

"We weren't good enough. It was a naive performance and we need to learn from it, as we learnt a lot last season.

"Having the success against them in the last home game last season, we can take a lot of confidence from that. We need to get back to those levels and more in order to be successful against them again."