It could have been a disaster if it had been the start, rather than the end, of Albion’s bid to woo Elliott Bennett.
The speedy right winger was at Huddersfield on Tuesday night with his dad and younger brother, Kyle, to witness the Seagulls’ heaviest defeat for 36 years.
Fortunately, the considerable groundwork for Bennett’s move had already been done, enabling him to take that 7-1 humiliation for his new team-mates in his rapid stride.
“It is one of those things, isn’t it?” he said. “Football is a weird game. Hull got battered the other night. It happens all the time, you have just got to bounce back.”
When Bennett put his name to a three-year deal yesterday morning, it signalled the climax of Albion’s patient pursuit of the 20-year-old.
Bennett had been high on the list of targets of manager Russell Slade from the outset of the close season.
Wolves dallied, unsure whether to let him out on loan again after stints in the last two seasons with Bury and Crewe or to go permanently.
An undisclosed fee was eventually agreed with the Premier League newcomers last week but Slade, aware that Wolves is the club where Telford-born Bennett grew up in company with his 18-year-old sibling, sensibly continued to bide his time.
Bennett said: “He gave me a bit of time to think about it, which I was very grateful for. Moving here is a big step but they were patient with me.
“It’s a big decision. I’d been there (at Wolves) since I was eight. Twelve years is a long time and I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me to be a professional footballer.
“When they were promoted last season it was brilliant for them but, at the same time, I thought where does that leave me?
“Obviously, money comes with getting promoted and fair play to Wolves for spending it to try to keep in there, because that is what it’s about really.
“It has led me to here, which I am not disappointed about at all. I consider it a step forward in terms of my career.
“Players move on, teams move on and all the best to them in the Premier League but I am here now to do a job for Brighton and be a part of what is happening down here.
“It is exciting times for the club, moving into a new stadium. I was told Brighton is a great place to live as well and I have seen that for myself.
“I came down at the weekend with my missus to have a little look around and it’s really nice.”
Bennett’s slow-moving switch to the South Coast is quite a contrast to how fast he can run.
He revealed: “When I was 15 I did the English School Athletics for Shropshire in the 200 metres.
“I ran 22.7 or something like that, which isn’t bad. I didn’t get to the final but I came 11th in the country. That was my hobby really, to keep ticking over in the summer.”
Bennett is eager to improve on three goals in all 46 League Two games for Bury in his season-long second spell on loan with the Lancastrians , which ended in defeat by Shrewsbury in the play-offs.
He said: “I like to create things for the team and be on the ball as much as possible. My goalscoring record is not great but I hope to change that as well.
“The aim in my career is to progress and the club is progressing so it’s a perfect match really.”
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