International breaks used to be a time for Gordon Greer to go back to his roots.

The Albion skipper earned 11 caps for Scotland thanks to the form and poise he showed after Gus Poyet gave him the platform to show what he could do.

Greer, a Glaswegian who spent much of his career south of the border, would link up with his fellow Scots and defy the years after becoming his team’s oldest debutant for 50 years.

He was a senior partner to Lewis Dunk during the momentous first season at the Amex.

That meant he saw the promise, the progress – and some tougher moments, like the early red card at Selhurst Park in 2012-13 or the ball-juggling own goal in front of the Kop.

Now, as he hopes to watch his former team-mate as well as his own Albion successor at the back play for their countries, he is well placed to reflect on how both Dunk and Shane Duffy have progressed.

And on how a strong mind have seen Dunk rise all the way from League One to the brink of an international debut.

Asked what lesson he passed on to a young Dunk, Greer told The Argus: “He has always had his own mind.

“I think over the years he has maybe taken things from the players he played with.

“The good thing about young players now is they have all got their own minds.

“He will make mistakes, as we all have, and you learn from it.

“It’s how you learn from it that makes you the player you become.

“Hopefully he keeps progressing. It’s up to him how far he goes.

“I think there will come a point if a top club was wanting to take him, it would be a really difficult decision for him.

“But he’s a Brighton lad through and through so I wouldn’t expect to see him walking out of the door anytime soon.”

Greer has also played alongside Duffy, albeit fleetingly, at Blackburn.

But the Duffy wearing an Albion strip these days in a different player to the one who was coming to the end of his days at Ewood Park.

Greer said: “Shane was trying to get out so it was maybe a couple of months. We played together a few times.

“I played in the infamous game when he scored two own goals and got sent off at Cardiff.

“I think at the time, to be fair, his head was all over the place with interest from other clubs.

“A lot of teams wanted to sign him so it’s a real coup for Brighton to get him.”

Greer himself looks back on his Albion years as the time when he really blossomed as a footballing centre-back.

Gus Poyet made the then Swindon captain a priority signing in 2010.

Swindon had just lost the League One play-off final and a strong side at the County Ground was starting to break up.

Poyet saw their leader as the man to put his footballing revolution into action.

Albion took League One by storm as they split their centre-backs wide, pushed the full-backs on and asked Rasdostin Kishiishev or Liam Bridcutt to drop deep into a midfield pocket.

It was a more risky set-up than the third tier was used to seeing but it worked wonders as Albion played the best football the division had perhaps ever seen.

Greer said: “I loved it. When I spoke to him before I signed here Gus said, ‘Listen, I need you to get on the ball and play for us’.

“I suppose I’m not physically the best athlete out there but I’m quite good with the ball at my feet.

“It was great for me and me coming here coincided with my career pushing on as well.

“I managed to do well for Brighton, get in the Scotland squad and it helped me.

“Up until that point I maybe just looked like an ordinary centre-back playing in League One. Nobody had seen what I could do with the ball.

“I came here and all of a sudden people start to see what you can do.

“I’m blessed that I had that opportunity.

“A lot of players I suppose go through their careers and they don’t get an opportunity.

“Gus was a brilliant manager, all about just getting the lads playing.

“We had some really good players in League One.

“Club-wise, it has been by far the most enjoyable time for me.

“It was great at the Withdean, I enjoyed it.

“It wasn’t the luxurious surroundings of the Amex but it was a great year personally.

“It was great to win League One and I met some really good lads back then as well.”

A similar ability on the ball to that shown back then by Greer is a reason why observers such as ex-Albion boss Dean Wilkins believe the back three preferred by Gareth Southgate could suit Dunk more than the two employed by Chris Hughton.

We might see if that is true in Rijeka or Seville in the coming days.

Greer will be watching – and hopes to be keeping a close eye on matches in a professional capacity before long after cancelling his contract at Kilmarnock in the summer and calling time on his playing days.

Now based near Manchester, he said: “When I left Blackburn and I went to Kilmarnock, I knew the manager and I enjoyed it for a bit.

“But being away from home, and I’ve got a young family, I just felt that it wasn’t really the right thing for me to do.

“I had this year left at Kilmarnock but it wasn’t as much fun.

“I’ve got two young kids and they are settled.

“I’d love to try and get into the media side of it.

“I did a few games with Sky last year and I really enjoyed it but you are starting again from scratch.

“You’ve had 20 years playing football and now you’re in a position where you are sort of an apprentice.

“The fact I’ve been involved in football for so long, hopefully people are interested in what I’ve got to say.”