Goalkeeping prospect Lance Cronin has defended his decision to quit Albion for traditional rivals Crystal Palace.

Cronin claims limited match action was the reason for him leaving the Seagulls.

The 15-year-old from Portslade signed a lucrative five-year contract on the Selhurst Park pitch at half-time in Palace's Worthington Cup semi-final first leg against Liverpool ten days ago.

He will be on schoolboy forms with the First Division club for two years until his 17th birthday, when he gets a three-year deal as a professional. In return Albion have secured an undisclosed compensation package after nurturing Cronin for six years through their centre of excellence system.

"I'm really excited about it," Cronin said. "I don't really know about the rivalry with Palace. I was sharing my games at Brighton and I wasn't happy playing for only half-an-hour.

"I told Martin Hinshelwood and he told me they would move me up to the under 17's for a few games, but it never happened.

"I was sad to leave. All of my friends are down there and I know the goalkeeping coach John Keeley really well. But if I wanted to play more I had to move away. It wasn't a hard decision at the time, because I was a bit annoyed."

Cronin shared the goalkeeping duties at Albion with Chris May, son of former Seagulls defender Larry May.

Hinshelwood, Albion's director of youth, explained: "We try in all of our age groups to get two goalkeepers.

"We brought in Chris May and I think we were fair with both of them.

"For two or three years Lance had been our only goalkeeper in that age group. On one occasion he got injured and we had to put an outfield player in his place.

"You need competition for places and I've got to do what is best for the club.

"If I had not taken Chris May and Lance had gone anyway we would have been up a gum tree."

Albion offered Cronin a three-year scholarship once he leaves Portslade Community College.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Southampton, Fulham and Wimbledon were all believed to be keeping an eye on him, but he has no regrets about joining Palace.

"With the bigger clubs even if you keep on playing well and progressing it would take me ages to get into the first team, but Palace bring their youngsters through.

"Look at Michael Standing at Aston Villa. He has been waiting for ages for a first team chance and Darren Baxter at Chelsea is the same."

The saga over Cronin's signature has similarities to the landmark compensation case brought by Albion against Villa for Standing and Gareth Barry.

Martin Perry, Albion's chief executive, said: "The deal goes through the same sort of structure as with Barry and Standing, based on him signing a full pro contract and appearances in the first team right the way through to if he gets a full England cap.

"If he gets all the way up the ladder it is a very significant figure, but I am not prepared to reveal the sum. That would hamper our negotiations if we get another case like this."

Cronin's dad Mick was unhappy with Albion's asking price for his son.

"They put a ridiculous £50,000 price tag on Lance's head at the first stage of compensation," he said. "Fifty thousand for a 15-year-old? They only paid £100,000 for Bobby Zamora.

"The last we heard Albion turned down £250,000. Negotiations took so long that he lost his place for England, so I'm a bit annoyed about that."

Cronin is back in the international reckoning now that his future has been resolved.

Palace are thrilled to have captured him. Murray Jones, their assistant academy director, said: "He's got immense potential to be a top class goalkeeper.

"The boy made his decision and hopefully he can develop with us.

"Albion have looked after him very well. Hopefully we can turn him into an even better keeper."

Albion, meanwhile, are philosophical. Perry said: "There is not a lot you can do about it if a youngster and his parents choose another club.

"We have then got to do the best deal we can with whoever it is. While I appreciate Palace are regarded as arch rivals that attitude does not prevail at administration level. We have to deal with them as we would any other club.

"It is a good deal in a situation where we've had to let a lad go. Clearly we would prefer to hang on to these young lads we have nurtured.

"Hopefully as we progress they will see a great future for them here at Brighton. But when you are in the Third Division and a club from a higher division comes along it's obviously very tempting."

Hinshelwood's aim is to carry on the good work already put in with coach Dean Wilkins since ex-boss Brian Horton put them in charge of Albion's youth set-up.

Rookies like Adam Virgo and Dean Hammond have already made their debuts in the first team this season.

"Lance is the only one we have lost since I've been here," Hinshelwood said. "Good luck to the kid.

"Our club is going in the right direction. Parents can see young players getting into the gaffer's first team and being given opportunities they've perhaps not had in the past."