Former Albion prospect Jack Harper says he did not have enough time to make a mark with Albion.

But his stint with the Seagulls helped him to "man up".

Harper joined Albion amid considerable fanfare in July 2015 from Real Madrid's youth system on a two-year contract (below).

The Argus: The Malaga-born Scot failed to make an impact during 18 months on the south coast.

He got nowhere near the first team and could not command a regular place in the under-23s.

Harper said in an interview with The Guardian: "I didn’t have much time to show what I was worth but it prepared me.

"Growing up at Madrid, I'd say I have the tiki-taka side, but I still had to man up and England gave me that. It was a learning curve and more than football, it made me a stronger person."

A knee injury wrecked a move to Stoke for Harper before he signed for Albion.

The 22-year-old ex-Scotland youth international is back at Malaga starring in their bid to win promotion back to La Liga.