Four years ago Gary Hart was playing pub football and waking at six in the morning to work as a forklift truck driver in a warehouse.

Next year he hopes to be in the First Division with Albion.

Few could have predicted Hart's rags to relative riches story but, unlike most people, he expected the Seagulls to thrive again this season.

It was never going to be just a case of consolidation in the Second Division as far as Hart was concerned.

He was always confident Albion would cope with the conversion from Division Three champions into Division Two promotion contenders.

"It's a little bit better quality of football, a bit faster and not as physical," Hart said.

"I think everyone has adjusted to the step up quite well.

"A few had played in the Second or First Division already, but for me I think I have done reasonably well in it so far.

"If you have a look at the video from last season I said I could see us doing really well.

"You have got to say to yourselves you are going to win it, otherwise it's not worth taking part. I didn't think we would be doing this well, but we've got a good team.

"It's going to be hard for the rest of the season because you have got big teams up there now like Reading and QPR. We've just got to keep plugging away.

"I don't know if the club was planning on things happening this quickly, but it is and everyone has got to carry on doing their jobs because we want promotion.

"I don't want to be a Second Division player all my life. I want to go up."

Hart's career has been on the up ever since signing for Albion from Stansted for £1,000 plus the price of a kit. The 26-year-old missed only two League games in his first season, three in the second and one last term, with corresponding goal tallies of 12, nine and seven.

The scoring decline can be easily explained. Hart's role changed last season from central striker to right winger. He has been a permanent feature of Albion's challenge again this term apart from when a rare injury, a severely bruised leg, sidelined him over Christmas.

"I'd never missed a game through injury until then and it was really horrible," said Hart.

"I'd missed a few games through illness, which is bad enough, but I was out for four weeks without even training.

"We thought it was a dead leg at first, which would have taken a week at the maximum, but it turned out to be a haemotoma. That is to do with the muscle coming away from the bone where it is so bruised."

Albion were bruised in Hart's absence. They failed to win against Chesterfield, Blackpool and QPR and a lack of cover on the right flank was part of the reason why boss Peter Taylor signed David Lee from Hull in a free transfer swap with Matthew Wicks.

Hart emphasised his value to the side with his third goal of the season in the thrilling victory against Cambridge United at Withdean a fortnight ago.

He will be available again for Tuesday's visit by Tranmere after missing the Cardiff match through suspension.

Fans love his never-say-die attitude and Hart has a solution to the stick Albion have received from some sections of the crowd at times this season: he just does not hear it.

"I don't listen to it," he said. "You listen to the good stuff and block out the bad stuff.

"We don't let it affect us, we're all bigger than that. If fans want to boo us off the pitch after the success we've had in the last year and a half that is up to them. They've got their view and everyone pays their money."

Tickets for Albion's home game against Huddersfield on February 16 go on sale on Monday.