When players are substituted, they usually trudge off the pitch as slowly as possible.

Tommy Fraser is different. Albion's enthusiastic young midfielder sprints off once his number is up.

It has nothing to do with any sense of embarrassment, nor should it. Fraser has done remarkably well to make such an impact in his debut season at senior level.

In fact, the habit began for a very good reason, to avoid a yellow card in Albion's last match at Withdean.

"Against Tranmere the ref told me he was going to book me and the ball didn't go out of play for about five minutes," Fraser explained. "I thought I would get off quickly before the ref could book me.

"I got some stick at Yeovil when I did it, but that was purely because we were losing. At Millwall on Tuesday I thought the sooner we got Kez (Kerry Mayo) on the better.

"You get 30 seconds for a substitution. If it only takes ten to 15 seconds that extra time could help score us a goal."

That is typical of Fraser's team ethic. It does not matter to him in the slightest that he has been substituted in seven of the last ten games.

In any case, he has a long way to go to catch up Albion's most replaced player. It has happened to Fraser's currently injured colleague Gary Hart 115 times.

"I'm still only 18 and I'm still getting used to it but I'm doing a job," said Fraser. "Maybe in the last few games when I've come off it's purely because we have been losing and we have got Ali (Alistair John) as an outlet on the bench and before that Dean Bowditch.

"It's not an issue. Obviously I'd like to stay on for 90 minutes but it really doesn't bother me. If it benefits the side bringing me off I'd expect it."

There was an element of relief when Fraser was replaced by Mayo deep into the second half at Millwall.

He had been working even harder than usual following the first half dismissal of Guy Butters.

"The gaffer asked me to play a little bit further ahead of Dean Hammond when we went 3-4-2 and I ran myself into the ground," he said.

"I was a bit disappointed when my number went up but not in another way. I couldn't breathe any more!"

Mayo went on to become Albion's hero in the penalty shoot-out but Fraser would have been one of the first to put a hand up to take a spot-kick.

That is the kind of character he is, even though his effort was saved in the Seagulls' FA Youth Cup quarter-final exit on penalties at Newcastle last season.

Fraser captained that side, normally from his preferred position in the middle of midfield. He might just find himself playing there tomorrow in the FA Cup against Stafford Rangers in the absence through injury of Adam El-Abd.

"If the gaffer asks me to go in there I'll do my best, just as I do out on the right," he said. "It would be nice to go back there but it really doesn't bother me. As long as I am in that starting line-up I wouldn't care if I was playing leftback."

Dad Frankie, a former Albion apprentice and well-known Sussex non-league player before a knee injury forced him to retire at the age of 27, faces a familiar dilemma tomorrow.

Tommy's younger brother Jamie plays for Worthing, who entertain Billericay.

"It is hard for my dad when Brighton and Worthing are at home," Tommy said. "I always tell him to go and watch Jamie, he is only 17 and a bit.

"He's helped my little brother out a lot. He is playing for Worthing's first team and he is doing excellently."

Ditto the older sibling - even if he keeps on getting substituted.