ALBION’S young guns have been urged to help each other make the big step-up.

The Seagulls send an under-21 side to Luton Town tonight for their opening group fixture in the Checkatrade Trophy.

First team boss Chris Hughton gave senior debuts to three of Simon Rusk’s unbeaten development squad last week.

Viktor Gyokeres, Ben Barclay and Will Collar all made the breakthrough when Albion lost 1-0 to Southampton in the Carabao Cup.

Development boss Simon Rusk said: “Although the three got their debuts the other night, and that's brilliant, they all need each other to do that.

“The better the 23s are playing as a group, the more the chance of them breaking through.

“They all need each other.

“It’s great the boys got debuts but I believe that is an accumulation of a lot of good team work from the side as a whole.

“Often an opportunity will come through someone else’s misfortune or hopefully just good form but they also need their team-mates to take advantage of that opportunity.

“I thought the boys gave a really good account of themselves the other night.”

Haydon Roberts, the 16-year-old Brighton schoolboy who scored in the 5-0 romp against Manchester City last Friday, is among a handful of development squad players away on international duty.

He is with England under-17s in Poland.