When Giles Stille first joined Albion, Saturday's opponents Wigan were barely out of the non-league ranks.

It is 25 years since Stille, a hard-working midfielder with an eye for goal, joined the Seagulls for £3,000 from Kingstonian.

Albion were playing at the top level of English football when Stille made his debut, Bobby Robson's Ipswich Town were challenging for the title and Wigan were the League's newest side.

Stille was back in Brighton last weekend to watch the 1-1 draw with Coventry and League positions were not the only thing that had changed.

Gone was the Goldstone Ground, where he played 29 games over five injury-ravaged seasons, and replaced by Withdean Stadium.

The last time Stille was at Withdean was for a training session with Alan Mullery's men in the early Eighties.

These days the 45-year-old runs his own coaching sessions after forging a successful career for himself in management in Sweden.

Stille, currently assistant manager with premier division side Kalmar, is a highly respected coach in Swedish football, having moved to the country 15 years ago.

He cut his teeth as manager with IK Tord, winning the division three title with a Swedish record of 61 points out of 66. He went on to claim three more championships with other clubs before taking over as assistant at Kalmar two years ago and helping them out of the Superettan, Sweden's first division, into the premier division where they are currently fifth.

When injury forced Stille into premature retirement from professional football in 1984, aged just 26, management was the last thing on his mind.

He explained: "After a period of inactivity for two years, I went to Sweden to play football. To be honest, I didn't know whether I could still play. I had an offer to play at quite a high level in Sweden but I didn't want to put that pressure on myself.

"Management was just something I got into. Somebody asked if I was interested in being a player-coach. I enjoyed the work. I liked the idea of working with people and developing players, and it has progressed from there "I am a fully qualified UEFA coach and things have gone reasonably well."

Stille is now married to a Swedish woman and has three children. Sons William and Charles were with him at Withdean last Saturday.

He said: "I wanted them to see the club where their dad used to play football.

"When my friend Andy Drinkwater came to Sweden they were given Brighton shirts, so they know all about the club."

Stille first joined Albion on a part-time basis after being spotted by assistant manager Ken Craggs but, after making his debut against Manchester City in the old First Division in December 1979, he was soon made up to a full-time professional.

Perhaps his best period for the club was towards the end of the 1980-81 season where he notched three goals in four games.

Often seen as a standby midfielder, he never let the team down when called upon but he struggled with injury and illness, first finding out he was diabetic and later suffering with a chronic back problem.

He said: "It was a strange period for me. The club had a lot of success in the First Division. There was a great atmosphere around the club and in the dressing room, especially getting to the Cup final.

"But for the last 18 months I had a lot of injuries. I suffered an ankle injury away to Newcastle at the start of the Cup run in 1983 (which meant he missed the final) and after that I had a back injury that took two years to clear up.

"It was not an enjoyable job being a professional footballer and being injured when everyone else was running out on to the pitch.

"That said, I have a lot of fond memories of Brighton Football Club and Brighton as a place and I always look for their result every weekend."

Could Stille be tempted back to England to management over here?

"One of the hardest things for a manager is to take the decision where you are going to work. Sometimes you can be offered a position which is a poisoned chalice.

"In the same breath, I have learnt a lot in Sweden. If something came up that had possibilities and was a challenge, it would be worth looking at.

"It wouldn't necessarily have to be a manager's position, It would depend on the club. I would like at some stage for my children to spend time in England."