Glenn Murray has been hailed as the “perfect replacement” for Bobby Zamora after rejoining Albion.

The 32-year-old centre-forward is back with the Seagulls from Bournemouth on a season-long loan.

He flies out to Tenerife this morning to join Chris Hughton’s squad for their pre-season training camp with a ringing endorsement from Adam Virgo about the goalscoring thrust and know-how he will add to the attack.

Zamora, 35, scored seven points-gaining goals on his return to Albion last season before injury ruled him out of the last three months of their promotion-miss and he was released.

Defender turned TV and radio pundit Virgo, an Albion team-mate of Murray for two years, told The Argus: “He is the type of player you need in the Championship for where Albion are at the moment, experience up front, and you know he can score goals.

The Argus:

Adam Virgo and Glenn Murray were Albion team-mates 

“He is the perfect replacement for what Bobby did until he got injured, good movement and good in the air. Bobby was not the same player second time around but everyone knew that would be the case.

“His experience helped massively and now that Chris is playing with two strikers Glenn will bring them something different.”

Murray fired Albion to the League One title five years ago. He scored a total of 56 goals in 136 games before a controversial move to Crystal Palace when Gus Poyet was manager.

The Cumbria-born marksman’s wife is from Brighton, they have a home close to where he used to score regularly for the club at Withdean and his son is in the Seagulls’ Lancing-based academy.

Virgo said: “I saw him a couple of weeks ago and he looked fit and strong. It’s a move Glenn desperately wanted. I don’t think he ever wanted to leave.

“Him and Gus had different views and he moved on. Gus didn’t make too many mistakes but releasing Glenn was one. I know he turns 33 soon, so he is not getting any younger, but it’s a signing the club needed to make.

“They still need to strengthen in that area but it’s a good start, a promising start, an exciting signing. Burnley and Boro had an out-and-out goalscorer last season and that’s what Brighton were lacking, even though Tomer (Hemed) did well.”

Albion have been pursuing Murray - on target 44 times in 97 Championship outings for Palace and Reading on loan - throughout 2016.

 

The Argus exclusively revealed in January plans to re-sign him. Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe blocked the move and a further attempt to land Murray during the loan transfer window, because the Cherries were still fighting for their Premier League survival.

Now Howe has relented. Murray has been training with the under-21s, with no prospect of featuring for Bournemouth in their second season in the top flight following the January arrivals of Benik Afobe and Lewis Grabban and return to fitness of Callum Wilson.

Albion’s hopes of signing him permanently have been scuppered by Bournemouth’s demand for a large slice of the £4 million they paid to Crystal Palace at the start of last season.

They have thrashed out a loan arrangement instead, with no fee involved, to secure his services, while Bournemouth benefit by removing high-earning Murray from their wage bill.

Albion boss Chris Hughton said: He is a real attacking presence who can lead the line, he’s powerful in the air and his goalscoring record speaks for itself.

“He is a different type of striker to those we have got at the club already and will give us an extra option going forward.

“Most importantly he knows the Championship well, he knows how to score goals at this level and what it takes to get out of this division.”