Steve Brown, Brighton-born and bred, has finally ended up at Albion after missing out on playing for them twice.

Martin Hinshelwood and Steve Coppell both tried to sign the former Charlton and Reading defender during their managerial reigns.

Seven years on, Hinshelwood, in his role as director of football, has at last landed his man by appointing Brown, 37, as under 18s coach.

Brown has been busy attaining his coaching qualifications since his playing career was ended by injury.

He spent a season in charge of the reserves at West Ham under Alan Pardew and Alan Curbishley – two of his former managers – and was coaching at Lancing College and Ardingly College while gaining the UEFA A Licence.

Brown also worked as a match summariser for BBC Radio London before the chance came to join his home city club.

“It has taken a while but I am finally here,” Brown said. “Hinsh needed a youth team coach, he gave me a ring and I was more than happy to grab the opportunity with both hands.

“I applied for jobs left, right and centre, as I am sure hundreds and hundreds of coaches have been doing in the last couple of years.”

Brown’s appointment allows Vic Bragg more time to devote to the centre of excellence, although he will still assist with the under-18s.

It is not only off the pitch in the youth department that Albion have been light on numbers.

Brown said: “When we went up to Gillingham on Saturday and lost 4-3, I had six or seven first years and I only took three substitutes. Two of them were under 16 players who both got on.

“I’m not against that. If I think people are ready and they deserve to play they'll play. My philosophy is if you are good enough it doesn’t matter when.

“I like what I have seen so far. I have got my own ideas on the way things should be done.

“Vic is filling me in about the way things have been done and a lot of it is as good as you will find anywhere else in the country.

“There is not a great deal for me to change. It’s just getting the way I like to play right within the structure. We have started with two losses but you can speak to any club we go and play – Brighton play football.

“At the moment we get outbattled and outfought. We are slowly trying to turn that around.”

Results are not the be all and end all at youth team level. The real challenge Brown faces is emulating the success Dean Wilkins had in producing players for the senior side.

“I want to have a winning mentality, as any player should, but when you are a youth team manager we are judged on how many players make it through the system and into the reserves and first team,” said Brown.

“That is what I told the players when I first walked into the building. Of course, along the way we want to get results as well, but our main aim is to make sure these lads have got the best chance possible to earn a contract.”