Warren O’Hora wants to be Albion's next Irish success story.

The defender from Dublin would love to follow Aaron Connolly into the Premier League and national set-up If he gets there, his compatriot and fellow centre-back Shane Duffy will have played a part.

O’Hora swapped first-team football with Bohemians in the Irish top flight for a place in the Albion academy when he signed The Seagulls’ strong Irish connection help them land their man in January last year after he was also offered places at Norwich City and Shrewsbury Town.

O’Hora, 20, showed what he can do at both ends of the pitch with the under-21s recently, saving a goal and then scoring one in the 2-0 win over a senior Southend United side in the Leasings,com Trophy.

He is quick to point out Duffy as one of the latest guiding influences on his career.

O’Hora said: “Of course he plays a big part.

“I see him around the training ground and he looks after us.

“What he does for club and country has been amazing.

“He is someone I look up to and try and take bits from his game and add them to my game, get advice from him, things like that.”

O’Hora, capped twice by the Irish under-19s, comes from Cabra, an area of Dublin just a few minutes’ walk from Dalymount Park, home of Bohemians.

It took him just 11 senior league appearances after progressing through the youth set-up to secure a deal this side of the Irish Sea.

He said: “I was asked to come on trial to Brighton and I was really interested.

“I came over, had a look at the facilities, trained and loved it.

“From there, I was offered a contract and I couldn’t say no.

“It was something I always wanted to do “I moved over when I was just turned 18.

“With the Irish boys like Az (Connolly), Dessie Hutchinson and Jay Molumby here, it was a no-brainer really.

“I had people to help me settle in and the club is a great club.

“The physicality of the football in Ireland compared to the under-23 league here is a bit different “But technically the under-23 league is a lot higher.

“It took me a couple of months to grasp that, to get technically up to speed with the boys who were already here.

“But I am settled here and enjoying it.”

Albion have not been short of emerging centre-backs in recent years.

Ben Barclay and Ben White tended to play leading roles up until this season before their careers took very different paths.

White went on loan to Leeds and appears to have a big part to play in Albion’s future while Barclay was released and joined Accrington.

Leo Ostigard caught the eye last term and will have Premier League ambitions as he plays on loan at St Pauli.

Haydon Roberts made his own headlines recently and is currently with England under-18s, who play Poland under-19s today.

By contrast, O’Hora has largely stayed under the radar so far in England but he was big news back home after making his senior debut in the heat of a Dublin derby away to St Pat’s.

His captain at the time, Derek Pender, was the man who helped him through that challenge.

O’Hora said: “When I came on, there was a throw-in. Derek was taking it and he must have seen me looking around because he shouted over ‘Are you alright, gorgeous?’ “That made me laugh and I settled right in after that. It helped me to calm down.

“It was a big help having Derek beside me at full-back and Shane Supple, who is the best keeper in the league in my opinion, behind me.

“Shane really helped me on and off the pitch. If there is any decision that I had to make, I would always ring Shane.

“If I was unsure about trials, my own performance or if I thought something was wrong even, in my personal life, he is always a phone call away.”

Duffy himself recognises the competition at centre-back within the club.

He said: “Obviously for Warren it is difficult because there is a lot of centre halves in the first team at the minute and the two out on loan as well.

“He just needs to keep progressing and hopefully he gets a chance and hopefully he gets in the Irish squad it would be good.”

His background explain why O’Hora seems a more mature figure than you might expect of someone yet to scratch the surface of first-team football with Albion.

Events at Roots Hall have put him just a bit more in the spotlight, be it the last-ditch block which kept his side in front or the flicked finish which completed the 2-0 win.

The former was a great bit of defending after a cross deflected into the path of Emile Acquah with the goal at his mercy.

O’Hora said: “That’s my job. He’d got behind me and there was a flick on.

“It went over my head and I’ve just seen him control it, got across as quick as I could, slid as long I could and got a block on it.

“As a defender, that’s definitely as good as a goal.”

The goal wasn’t bad either.

He said: “Credit to Jordan Davies. As he was walking over, he turned around and said ‘Woz, front post’ and that was it.

“Once I heard that, it was go front post and get something on it.”