Brighton keeper Carl Rushworth is hoping to play to his strengths during his loan at Walsall.

The 20-year-old joined the League Two side on a season-long loan yesterday.

Read more: Brighton's Carl Rushworth joins Walsall on a season-long loan

He was a regular for Albion’s under-23s last season in between the sticks, making 21 appearances in all competitions and keeping four clean sheets in the process.

That form saw him named as the Seagulls’ Young Player of the Year.

The loan move will be Rushworth second’s spell away from the club having spent the 2019-20 season at PitchingIn Isthmian Premier side, Worthing, where he put in some impressive performances.

The keeper revealed that he was excited to show off his main attribute, which was playing the ball out from the back.

He told the club’s website, said: “I like the fact that the head coach wants to play out from the back. That is one of my main attributes as a goalkeeper.

“I like to play the pretty football but I can also go long when I need to and I want to show that I’m not just lumping the ball up and playing the ugly side of the game all the time.”

Rushworth’s manager at Walsall is former Portsmouth, Bolton and West Ham winger Matthew Taylor.

He becomes the Saddlers’ 11th summer signing, which includes former Seagulls defender Stephen Ward.

Taylor believes Rushworth will fit their style of play perfectly.

He said: “Carl is somebody who came to our attention early on in the recruitment process for a goalkeeper.

“He fits the ethos of the football club, the way that we want to play next season and he is going to provide good competition in that position.

“We knew that we needed to strengthen in that area and we are extremely happy that Carl has chosen to pick Walsall as his first loan as he begins his professional career in the men’s game.

“It’s important not just for the goalkeepers to have competition but that we have competition all over the pitch.

“What we are striving to get at this football club are players that push each other on a daily basis, players that when they’re in the team are not comfortable because they have always got somebody behind them pushing them extremely hard.

“We’re delighted that Carl has decided to join us over other options that he had.”