Albion were quick off the mark to snap up Ben White.
They were first on the scene when he was let go as a 16-year-old by Southampton and made a big impression on the young defender and his parents.
That forward thinking has helped them secure a leading Premier League defender and potentially an England international.
White was called into a 33-man provisional England squad yesterday ahead of Euro 2020.
The expectation appears to be he will not make the final cut.
But that remains to be seen. It is by no means certain. He has a chance to impress for this tournament.
And there are other big competitions to come, including a World Cup just next year.
England boss Gareth Southgate made it fairly clear White’s call-up was one made with an eye to the future as he took questions yesterday.
His story has been one of progress from an early setback as he was let go by Saints.
That was a setback but he has since recognised there were better players ahead of him.
At the time, Southampton were ahead of Albion when it came to developing young players.
But their loss proved to be the Seagulls’ gain in the long term.
David Burke, who was Albion’s head of football operations at the time, made the first move.
His contacts at Southampton meant he was aware White would be let go.
Mark Anderson and Mark Hendon then pulled off the recruitment work which took White along the coast.
It is understood Anderson made the crucial first call to the Whites.
At the right time, he made it his business to sell the club and life in Brighton to them.
He showed them the stadium, the city, the then new training complex.
He went to see White play for Southampton’s academy before he was let go, in a match against West Ham, and was suitably impressed.
David Beckham gets a mention in the story which led White to the Three Lions.
Albion gave him a first run out in a match on an artificial pitch in the dome at the David Beckham Academy in London, playing as a right-sided centre-back against Norwich.
White was outstanding in that game. Certainly good enough to impress an array of watching scouts. But Albion had done their work by then.
“Everyone was all over him after watching that,” a contact told The Argus.
Arsenal and Manchester United were among clubs watching White by then.
But Albion knew they had him by that time and pen was quickly put to paper.
The pathway to the first team was a key element in persuading a young player to join the Seagulls.
Head coaches around that time, Oscar Garcia and Sami Hyypia, were willing to use young players in the Championship.
The examples Albion’s recruitment team cited for youngsters to follow were Lewis Dunk, Solly March and Jake Forster-Caskey.
White, along with Robert Sanchez, is now in that “look what Brighton can do for you” role.
He highlighted the work put in by academy boss John Morling and former under-23s coach Simon Rusk in his development as he spoke yesterday after his call-up.
White also mentioned loan stints at Newport, Peterborough and Leeds.
All different experiences but all part of the making of him.
It has been some week for that Albion development pathway.
White, Sanchez, Aaron Connolly and Jayson Molumby were all named in senior international squads.
Daniel Mandroiu is in the senior Irish group for the first time.
The inventive midfielder had four years with the Albion academy, helping the under-23s to promotion and scoring at Oxford in the EFL Trophy before returning to Ireland.
Mandroiu has since made a name for himself back home with Bohemians and now Shamrock Rovers, although he is good enough to come to England should he so wish.
The pathway is there to show any youngsters weighing up the chance to head to Lancing. That same pathway which Anderson and Hendon were able to sell to the White family seven years ago has since been enhanced and developed.
FANS HAVE HOPE (AND ONE OR TWO CONCERNS) FOR NEXT SEASON
White himself is quick to cite those who have helped him while recognising he has not name-checked everybody.
Speaking to Albion’s website, he said: “I have learned so much from my teammates, especially our senior players at the club, and really feel I have continued progressing this season.
“So many people have helped me with my development, both here at Brighton - where coaches like John Morling and Simon Rusk have been crucial for me - and at Newport County, Peterborough United and Leeds United.
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“I would like to thank all the managers and staff at all those clubs for the part they have played, giving me the opportunity to play at the different levels of the EFL.”
There are future success stories out there no doubt being worked on right now.
Those who pull them off may well have moved on by the time they come to fruition.
But quick thinking and good contacts seven years ago have paid off for the Seagulls.
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