Adam El-Abd has three good reasons to be cheerful.

Albion's versatile defender has reached late January without being suspended, he has established himself as a first team regular and his future at the club seems secure.

El-Abd has only collected four bookings so far, which is quite a contrast to last season when he was sent-off at Nottingham Forest, banned for five bookings by November and finished with ten yellow cards.

"The gaffer had numerous chats with me last season about my temper and aggression levels boiling over," El-Abd revealed. "He said it is something I have got to learn to deal with and this season I have managed to stay a lot calmer in situations.

"That is reflected in the amount of bookings I have received, which is pleasing, because I don't want to miss games"

El-Abd has missed only one match so far this season, at Swansea in September. He has played a part in the other 24 League games and all eight cup ties - more appearances than any other outfield player.

"That is the first I've heard of it but I suppose I've had a good run of games, so I am very happy with that," said the home-grown 23-year-old. "It's pleasing when you are in the starting eleven and things have been going okay.

"It's been a roller coaster. I have learnt a lot from the start of the season to now, with the highs and the lows I've been on, but it's perhaps my best season so far.

"I'll let others be the judge of that. Last season I was in the side more often than not as well.

"When you are playing games you are happy, so at the moment I am very happy. I come in every day and work hard and it's nice when you get selected to play on a Saturday. I am an ambitious person and I look to improve myself all the time."

El-Abd has long since passed appearance-related criteria, guaranteeing him the offer of a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

The adaptable defender has been used in both full-back positions and is currently building a partnership in the centre with Tommy Elphick in the absence of both Guy Butters and Joel Lynch through injury.

Elphick's first senior goal against Huddersfield at Withdean last time out was also the first by an Albion defender in the League for 16 months, since El-Abd scored against Leyton Orient.

El-Abd, who broke the collective defensive drought in all competitions by scoring in the FA Cup replay against Cheltenham in November, said: "It has been going well. We bounce off each other quite nicely. We are both good communicators on the pitch and we help each other along.

"It's nice to play with someone with a great passion for the game and I think it is going okay. We are a tight-knit unit because the majority of the squad grew up together. I think you can see that on the pitch."

This week has been the calm before the storm for El-Abd and his team-mates, with no Saturday game to prepare for following their shock FA Cup exit at home to Mansfield.

They end January with Tuesday's trip to Northampton and then embark on a hectic February and March which will define their hopes of getting right back in the play-off hunt.

El-Abd said: "We have been training hard this week. The gaffer has been using it as time to top up our fitness levels, which the boys have responded well to.

"We have come in every day and grafted in the way he would expect us to. Now we are back on the road and that is never easy.

"Last season we went to Northampton and won 2-0, which was a fantastic result. If we can emulate that, everyone will be thinking positively.

"It hasn't been going too badly for us in the League, five points from nine in the last three games. We've got two games in hand and if we pick up points in them it will put us right in the mix again."

How do you rate Adam El-Abd's performances this season?