Sam Adekugbe admits he would not be human if he did not wonder about what might come of his latest trip to England.

He talks freely about an ambition to play club football in this country.

But, as the Vancouver Whitecaps and Canada left-back trains with Albion, he believes his time back on these shores will be a big help wherever his career takes him.

Adekugbe is working at Lancing during what for Vancouver is the close season with a view to international action and MLS in 2016.

He still has two seasons left on his Whitecaps contract and his time with the Seagulls is being described as a training trip rather than a trial.

But the reality is a promising young player is always trying to catch the eye.

Adekugbe, who was born in London and raised first in Manchester, then Calgary, is no different.

And the eloquent 20-year-old is honest enough to admit it.

He was asked by The Argus if he ever wondered who he was impressing as he worked with Albion’s seniors and under-21s.

And he replied: “I don’t think I would be human if I wasn’t thinking that.

“I’m enjoying it. The first-team guys have been great and there are a lot of players that I like.

“I’m here to gain experience. Last year I went to Scotland and Liverpool, so it was good to see what the football is like over there and come into a different level.

“My coach Carl Robinson really wanted me to train elsewhere and see the different levels. I am English, I was born in London, so it was a good opportunity to see what I’ve missed while I’ve been in Canada.”

He added: “A lot of players’ wishes are to play in England because for me it’s the home of football.

“It’s great to see what the standard is like and to bring that back to Vancouver to know what I need to do to improve.”

Albion have strong links with Vancouver through chief executive Paul Barber who previously worked in the Whitecaps’ front office.

Adekugbe has also worked with Ally McCoist at Rangers and Alex Inglethorpe at Liverpool as he trained with their under-21s on previous trips.

Not that he is a raw kid. MLS is starting to be recognised as a strong league and he has already come up against some legendary opponents.

He said: “I wouldn’t say people underestimate MLS now because there are a lot of good players coming over.

The Argus:

Adekugbe shows his skills in training. Picture by Paul Hazlewood

“People used to come at the end of their careers but players like Giovanni Dos Santos are coming over and the games are even on Sky Sports now.

“Even talking with players at Brighton, they’re actually watching it and the level is quite decent.

“The main difference is the travelling. Being from Canada and playing in the States is a three-hour plane ride.

“I played against Kaka in Orlando. He’s a very good player, Robbie Keane, Obafemi Martins, Jermain Defoe. There are a lot of good players who have also played in Europe like Clint Dempsey.

“I was on the bench when New York came to Vancouver and I got to watch Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo and David Villa. They have won everything and you can see the quality they have.”

It is not just the world stars who cross the pond. From Robinson in Vancouver to Adrian Heath down in Orlando, former players steeped in English football culture are making their name as coaches in MLS.

The Argus:

Andrea Pirlo (New York City) and Kaka (Orlando) in MLS action

Adekugbe, who is with Albion for four weeks, reckons that is a good reason why the style of training at Lancing has not been a massive culture shock.

But he has been pleasantly impressed by what he has seen of Championship football.

He said: “In America what is generally thought about the Championship is that it’s counter-attacking, back and forth.

“Then you watch a team like Brighton and I could watch them play for days because of the way they keep the ball.

“It was actually a wake-up call for me to realise what the Championship is known for.

“Watching Brighton play is good. You can see that they’re a good team and why they want to go up.”