David Lopez: I know what Albion's signings are going through

And no one knows better how that feels than one of the men watching them from the stands at the Amex on Tuesday.

Five close-season recruits – or half of the ten-man team – played massive roles in helping the Seagulls secure a treasured derby win after losing Shane Duffy.

It has seemed like quite a long process. Albion made six senior summer signings in outfield positions, including the currently injured Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Until recently, the part they have played on a Premier League matchday has been limited. In fact, Jahanbakhsh had played more than any of them going into the recent defeat at Cardiff.

Suddenly they will be forming the basis of the XI, especially if Glenn Murray’s shoulder injury rules him out for a while.

Chris Hughton has spoken of late about how they have been working hard, learning on the job at training.

They just wait for that moment or that match which can make them an overnight success.

David Lopez (above), the club’s VIP guest on derby day, understands that better than most.

He lived through the same process six years ago before suddenly emerging a few weeks into the 2012-13 season and becoming the fans’ beloved Spanish Dave.

That nickname actually felt like a Mickey take initially as fans waited for him to do something. But it has stuck as a term of endearment.

Those same fans welcomed him back on Tuesday and enjoyed a showing of his famous free-kick goal against Palace back in March 2013.

And the man himself could appreciate the breakthrough moments being enjoyed by Florin Andone, Yves Bissouma, Bernardo and, to maybe a lesser degree, Leon Balogun and Martin Montoya – both of whom played some part in early season as injury cover – after biding their time.

David told The Argus: “I know what it is like because it was hard for me when I came here.

“I wasn’t in the team but I had the confidence of Gustavo (Poyet, manager).

“At that time, the man in front of me was Will Buckley. He was playing well, scoring goals. I had to keep training well.

“The coach just tried to advise me not to get anxious, to keep working as I was and in the end the opportunity would come.

“It’s true that in this process when you’re not playing it’s tough. You just want to be on the pitch playing.

“You’ve got to stay strong, keep working well from day to day and your reward will come. Bit by bit, you adapt and then your chance comes.

“When you have come from abroad, you know people don’t really know what you can do and you are anxious to show them.”

David can understand if any of the Albion newcomers have felt under pressure to perform when that chance arises.

He said: “I remember when I made my debut I felt out of place. I didn’t feel myself. You are wondering what people think of you, if they like you.

“You try and show more than you should and you feel strange in the first matches.

“But as the training sessions and the games go by you feel better.

“When two or three games have gone past, you get to know your team-mates and you can feel the difference.

“You feel free and you are really showing what you can do on the pitch.”

And then comes that moment which really cements you in the crowd’s affections, makes you feel like you’re playing a big part.

Andone is consistent in his line that it’s all about the team, all about winning, all about working hard rather than the personal glory of him scoring a goal.

But, talk for long enough, and he will also mention that it is important for strikers to be hitting the net, no matter how much they are contributing in other ways.

His goal at Huddersfield was his breakthrough moment, even though he showed up well previously off the bench against Cardiff and Leicester.

Bissouma’s big day may well have also come at Huddersfield as he glistened under a rain of boos and taunts from home fans.

Balogun did well as stand-in for injured Lewis Dunk early in the season. But scoring with your first touch against the old enemy takes some beating.

That will be one of those moments remembered years from now – and the sheer drama of the moment perhaps made it easy to overlook what a technically good finish it was.

It is hard for a full-back to have such a dramatic moment but Montoya’s efforts against Wilfried Zaha went down well.

Bernardo has forged himself into the fans’ affections through general performances rather than one key moment. But that goal-line clearance at 2-0 on Tuesday was pretty big.

Albion fans remember what a big part David was of the 2012-13 play-off season so it is easy to forget he did not get his first start until October.

Or that his first goal came a week before Christmas, with an 88th-minute equaliser at the Amex.

David said: “For me, there was a penalty at home to Millwall when we had been 2-0 down and I took it and scored. That may well have been my key moment.

“It was my chance to do something important for the team.

“It was a key moment and that goal really helped me progress along those lines.

“On a personal level, that was one of my best seasons as a footballer.

“We played at a high level as a team and I was able to make the most of my qualities, score a lot of goals and give assists.

“That was all thanks to the group, the coaching staff and the club.”

It ended in derby defeat in the play-offs, a result David admitted it took him some time to get over.

But he, more than most, knows how one moment against Palace can cement you in the affections of the fans.

Six months or so after touching down in England and walking through the doors of the training complex in Lancing, Albion’s summer class of 2018 have arrived.