Steve Coppell was nudged out of Albion by chairman Dick Knight into the arms of Reading.

He insists he would never have left if Knight had denied him permission to speak to them.

Coppell almost rescued Albion from relegation from the Championship in 2002-03. He departed two months into the following season, with the Seagulls top of League One.

As his old clubs prepared to clash at the Madejski Stadium, Coppell revealed to The Argus: “I didn’t want to leave Brighton. Dick didn’t put pressure on me by any means but I would quite happily have stayed at the club. I said to Dick ‘If you don’t want me to speak to Reading I won’t speak to them’.

“Having said to him I was quite happy to stay I was quite surprised. He just said ‘I know what goes on in football, it’s best if you speak to them.’ The door was opened for me.

“It was a difficult decision. I turned down Reading’s initial offer and, when they came back to me, again I would quite happily have stayed.

“At the time we were top of the table and I thought we had the foundation of a good set-up. But eventually a deal was done.

“I really enjoyed my short time at Brighton. I thought and think it’s a lovely club and they’ve still got some way to go before they find their level.”

Coppell is planning to take up an offer from Tony Bloom, Knight’s successor as chairman, to visit The Amex.

He said: “I haven’t been as yet. Tony has very nicely left an invitation open for me so I will most certainly do it in the next month or so. I’m looking forward to it.

“From when I was there I said whoever was manager when they moved into the new stadium would be a lucky man, because it is only a matter of time before the financial kick from going to a new stadium has an effect.

“Gus has done a great job from Withdean to the transfer. They made a terrific start this season. I think possibly clubs got a little bit wise to them but they seem to be coming back to form now."