Leo Ulloa would love to be an “instant hero” all over again.

But, whatever happens, the returning Albion striker will be a wiser, older and better player when he enters the Amex today than when he last left the stadium in May 2014.

Ulloa plans to put those lessons to good use both on and off the pitch in the battle to stay up.

The man from Argentina can add to 15 goals in 29 home games (plus a few minutes against Newport County) he tallied in his first stint with Albion.

“He vuelto” was Ulloa’s message on Twitter. I’ve returned – in a follow-up to the famous “I’m back” tweet involving Bobby Zamora when he re-signed for the club in 2015.

He will receive a fantastic welcome home. That much is clear after the ovation given to him by travelling fans at St Mary’s on Wednesday.

There is every chance he will get on, even if he does not start the game.

And he will look to continue a happy knack of home debut goals as Albion strive for points in the battle to stay up.

“Instant hero” were the commentator’s words when his diving header against Arsenal introduced him to English football in stunning style four years ago.

His first outings for Leicester at the King Power were even more impressive.

There was a debut goal on the opening day against Everton for the newly-promoted Foxes.

Second time out at the King Power, he was on target against Arsenal.

The Argus:

Then came a double as Manchester United were dispatched 5-3.

Go back further and it gets even better.

Ulloa scored on his home debut for Almeria in Spain in a cup tie against Real Sociedad.

He followed it by netting against Getafe in the top flight and adding a hat-trick in another cup tie against Mallorca.

His tally of eight goals in his first six home games included a strike against a Real Madrid side with Iker Casillas in goal and Sergio Ramos marshalling the back line.

Now the stage is set for a return to the Amex, a stadium where he did not score in his last three appearances.

“I am waiting for the Amex because always when I play there I felt so good and felt at home,” he told The Argus.

“The fans were amazing at Southampton – so, so, so good.

“I am expecting more of the same, just like three-and-a-half years ago.”

Ulloa’s six home goals in his first half-season at the Amex included the first hat-trick at the stadium, versus Huddersfield.

The Argus:

Glenn Murray and Tomer Hemed have since followed suit.

His memorable double against Crystal Palace completed a tally of six in ten.

The start to 2013-14 under Oscar Garcia was explosive, once a brief substitute outing in the home League Cup defeat to Newport had been cleared out of the way. He scored goals in each of the next three home games, versus Derby, Burnley and Millwall.

His season was then badly interrupted by a suspension and injury and he had four blanks at home.

But then came four goals in a row against Doncaster and Leeds (both winners), top-flight Hull City in the FA Cup and Wigan.

He did not net against Reading but broke the deadlock against high-flying QPR by tapping home Bruno’s silver service from the right. That was his last goal in front of the North Stand.

A skyed penalty against Middlesbrough meant he only scored in one of his final six games at the Amex, a thunderous finish after breaking the Charlton offside trap.

It’s not all about goals. He goes out today on the back of a brief outing at Southampton in which he showed a valuable ability to keep the ball under pressure.

He said: “The intention was to keep the ball.

“I sometimes could and sometimes it was difficult. The pitch was quite soft which made it difficult.

“Some players were tired because of the soft pitch.

“We tried to win the game at the end. We couldn’t but I think the point is good.”

Although Murray suggested in The Argus that the big men could play up front together, Ulloa is under no illusions that they are competing for a place.

He said: “I think we are quite the same in style. Glenn played very well (at Southampton).

“He did very well to keep the ball, hold the ball and find space and trying to link up. It was good – and the penalty he scored was good too.

“Now we continue to work and fight each other for one place in the team.”

In a previous interview, Ulloa told The Argus that he struggled to settle at Leicester and badly missed Brighton and Hove. Things started to turn around when compatriot Esteban Cambiasso arrived.

By contrast this has felt like coming home.

He has been popping into old haunts this week, primarily Latinoamerica restaurant in Hove for a social mate after training.

The Argus:

Ulloa scores for Leicester against West Ham

“That is like my office, I’ve been there too many times,” he laughed.

And he now knows just how far Hove is from the East Midlands, especially when the traffic is bad.

That is why he has been flat-hunting back in the city.

Ulloa has for now left his wife Maria and their two daughters Sofia and Morena, who was born a few days after his final Albion appearance, back in Leicester. He did the same in reverse in 2015 when, unwilling to uproot Sofia from her school, he opted to travel back and forth from Hove almost on a daily basis.

That plan was ditched after a few months and the family are now happy in the East Midlands.

“I’ll get an apartment back here and the family will come for weekends when we play at home,” he told The Argus.

“But I can’t travel every day. I did it before but it’s too hard!”