He is the magical matchwinner who threatens to take Vicente’s unofficial crown as the most thrilling player fans have had the privilege of watching at the Amex.

He has scored in the last three matches, each time putting his team ahead, and become the supporters darling.

Now, as Anthony Knockaert plans to dazzle on the Championship’s biggest stage, the Spanish master has revealed how the Frenchman caught his eye back in 2012-13.

He has also spoken of the massive role played in his own career by the manager Albion will face tomorrow – and why he was NOT surprised to see Rafa Benitez commit to managing Newcastle in the Championship.

Vicente, the raiding winger from Valencia, became a midfield genius, albeit on too intermittent a basis due to fitness issues, for the Seagulls between 2011 and 2013.

The Argus:

He no longer gives interviews after taking a top job in the recruitment department at Valencia.

But he has made a rare exception to tell The Argus how Benitez shaped his career - and how he is flattered to be compared to Knockaert in an Albion context.

The fact the Frenchman was one of the players who Vicente noted as he watched Championship football four years ago will impress Albion fans.

Vicente told The Argus: “Of course I know him. We played against him in my last year at Brighton during a season when he was very good for Leicester.

“At Brighton I used to watch all the matches I could involving other teams, especially the players who stood out. So Knockaert caught my eye in a positive way .

"I’d seen him play in Belgium last season as well so, when he joined Brighton last season, I was sure they got it right because he is a footballer of quality.”

This being the last week of the transfer window, Vicente is wary his comments might be seized upon. To be clear, he is responding at face value to a simple question about a player’s performances in the Championship.

If Valencia are suddenly, speculatively and erroneously rumoured to be interested in Knockaert, you will know where it came from.

Vicente is interested – because he is interested in football. But what about those comparisons?

“I respect people’s comparisons. I’m not really the right person to talk about it I thank people who remember me in a positive light.

“It’s a source of pride that the Brighton fanbase hold me in such high regard.

“I’d have loved to have played more for them because I knew the fans liked me. The connection with was excellent.”

That perhaps touches on one area when Knockaert has the edge on Vicente – the regularity of his man-of-the-match performances.

Occasional masterclasses are great. And for moments of inspiration it is hard to argue against Vicente, even at the end of his career.

But doing it week after week is key in the gruelling Championship.

It’s a tough division for managers too and one observers both here and in Spain thought Benitez would shy away from given the choice last summer.

Vicente, though, saw things differently. He said: “From the minute Rafa accepted the difficult challenge of trying to save Newcastle from relegation, knowing him as I do it didn’t surprise me at all that he stayed with them in the Championship.

“I saw how the fans loved him, how they were asking him to stay. These are things that Rafa places a lot of value in. I understand that Rafa, who is a person with high values, felt in debt to all these people and accepted the task of taking them back to the Premier. Apart from being a top class coach, he is a man of commitment.”

The reminders of what Benitez can do are all around Vicente at his current place of work as he tries to help Valencia regain the sort of status they enjoyed more than a decade ago.

That was at the time Benitez took charge and gave the young winger the chance to steal the spotlight.

Vicente has revealed how Rafa rarely stops working – and how he makes great demands of his players.

“I’ve got the best possible memories of Rafa, no doubt. With Rafa we achieved goals with Valencia which have never been repeated.

“We won titles in Spain and Europe, we were highly competitive.

“It is very hard to battle for the league with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid and we won two titles in three years, we did the double by winning the UEFA Cup. They were the best years in the recent history of Valencia.

“He’s a top level coach. In many ways he has always been ahead of his time.

“When he arrived at Valencia and applied his methods, along with his coaching staff who were also top class, the results were incredible.

“He transmitted a winning mentality. He took care of all aspects of the game, the training sessions, the preparation of a footballer. He has an enormous capacity for work.

“And he has had success at Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter, Napoli – there’s a reason for that.

The Argus:

“As a coach he could always get the best out of you, which is key for a player and for a team.

“He would demand the absolute maximum – but on the other side he was the sort who would help you during troubled times and just get the best he could from you.

“I like that. Having demands placed upon you is what helps you grow.

“A footballer has to know he always has to give the best – and ‘always’ means always. Every day, every training session, every match.”

Now Benitez wants to sign Knockaert, the man who inherited Vicente’s crown.

It’s a fascinating sub-plot – and one Vicente will catch up on once Valencia, who kick off 15 minutes before the Seagulls tomorrow, have finished their game at Eibar.

“Of course I follow Brighton I’ve followed the results since I left.

“I watch their matches when I can, I’m in contact with friends there. I love the club because they treated my family and very well and we will always be grateful.

“It was a shame they didn’t go up. They undoubtedly deserve to.

“I saw the game at Middlesbrough and the play-offs – a real shame.”

HIS NEW ROLE

Vicente has given some insight into his role in the recruitment department at Valencia.

He said: “When I retired from playing I took some time to reflect on what I’d do next.

The Argus:

“I knew that my passion is football and I wanted to keep working within the sport.

“I travelled, watched a lot of football – and trained to be a coach.

“But I decided where I most wanted to work was in the sporting director field. When I had the chance to join Valencia, I had no second thoughts.”

He is keen to stress his good memories of life in Brighton and Hove - so could he one day be of service to them in that department?