MATHEW RYAN has starred for Albion in the Premier League after turning for help to a mind coach.

The Seagulls’ No.1 says fellow Australian Mike Conway has been a “huge factor” in his dependable debut season in England.

Ryan joined Albion last summer after he was in and out of the side at Valencia in Spain’s La Liga.

He made a shaky start, dropping in a shot from long range in a friendly against Atletico Madrid, conceding an own goal by Lewis Dunk against Manchester City at the Amex and another inside the first minute when he was at fault at Leicester.

Ryan, 25, has recovered to produce consistently sound displays, staving off competition from experienced Premier League keeper Tim Krul.

He said: “It took me a while to get over the Valencia experience. When I first arrived at Brighton, I was determined to shake off the bad memories of the past year, work as hard as was humanly possible and prove myself in the best league in the world.

“I always have high expectations of myself. I’m my own harshest critic. In the early days at Brighton, I didn’t feel like I was meeting those expectations in terms of my performance. That got me overthinking and starting to doubt myself.

“Graham Arnold (Sydney boss) picked that up straightaway watching me on TV. He called me one day, out of the blue. He knows me inside-out after our years with the (Central Coast) Mariners and he could tell I had the look of someone who wasn’t believing in himself. He told me what he was seeing and it pretty much nailed how I was feeling and the struggles I was going through.

“He put me in touch with a friend of his, Mike Conway, who works with him at Sydney FC as the club’s emotional intelligence, resilience and mental agility coach.

“The work I have done with Mike has been a huge factor behind my form and general happiness this season. It keeps me on the straight and narrow and gives me the tools to bring my best every week. It’s been massive.”

Ryan revealed the key role of Conway in his latest blog for the PlayersVoice website, where elite Australian sportsmen and women write about their experiences.

He will be trying to add to a clean sheet at Swansea in November with his ninth shut-out of the season in Saturday’s pivotal return clash with the Welshmen at the Amex following a crucial late penalty save at Stoke to preserve a point in the last Premier League outing.

Albion can move four points clear of Swansea in the congested battle to avoid relegation with a second successive home win.