Mark Beard says arriving at Albion’s academy can be a culture shock for some signings.

The Seagulls are casting their nets far and wide in pursuit of teen talent.

That means signing players who have played international football overseas or even made senior debuts for their previous clubs.

Having been a big fish in a smaller pond, they go into the under-18s and, might even go back to school.

That process could see them secure silverware this afternoon (3pm) when Albion go to Middlesbrough for the final of the Under-17 Premier League Cup.

Striker Zac Emmerson had made his EFL debut for Oldham Athletic before coming south last summer.

Cameron Peupion had starred for Australia in a junior World Cup.

Evan Ferguson is now in the youth team having appeared for Bohemians in the senior league in Ireland.

Now the mission is to break through at a Premier League set-up.

Beard, Albion’s youth team manager, said: “When Zac came in and had his medical he had a back problem.

“The first six months when he signed was on the treatment table.

“He came in late and he was playing bit parts, he was getting frustrated.

“But he had to trust what we were saying.

“Oldham haven’t got the strength and conditioning we have. The amount of care we have here is unbelievable.

“We don’t want to bring him in too early and get him injured.

“He has had to bide his time. But he has come in and shown why we did buy him.

“He is a natural goalscorer but it’s different levels.

“He has gone from Oldham first team but he knows the attention to detail he gets here.

“Not playing straight away is frustrating for him, “He’s probably thinking, ‘I’ve been in the first team at Oldham to being on the bench for the under-18s’.

“It’s a bit of a culture shock for them.

“The same with Cameron, who has come from Australia. He played in the World Cup for Australia under-17s.

“I think in the first two weeks he was surprised how good it was.

“Then they have to readjust and get used to it.

“There is a big jump from League One, League Two when they come down.

“Those boys have to consolidate, a good year in the 18s and hopefully next year be in and around the 23s.”

There could also be a loan to the EFL at some point.

Beard said: “Every player’s pathway is different. Zac can probably handle that because he has already proved he can.

“Whereas for example an Andy Moran might not suit a League One or Two club.

“We have a great loans manager in David Weir, who will identify where each player will be good.”

Albion have had a good season in the upper reaches of the league, winning nine of their last ten in the league before tasting defeat to rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday.

They will have had time to go through a thorough preparation process for this afternoon’s game.

Beard said: “I work on out of possession. James Baxter, my assistant works, on in possession.

“We will give presentations on that. We send the boys an i-book from our analyst Rianna, which has every detail.

“The boys can watch it on their phones, on their laptops.

“It covers in possession and out of possession, set-pieces, goals, dangers, weaknesses. They can go through that in their own time.

“We do the match prep two days before the game, going through every scenario with them from playing out to the attacking third.

“And we will show them all the dangers of Middlesbrough.

“We go there properly prepared.”