Leo Ostigard will play the Ben White role for Stoke City this season.

Whether such a job exists now for Albion in all matches - or just for specific tactical missions - remains to be seen.

The Norwegian defender was pitched straight into his debut for the Potters after signing on loan on Tuesday.

His new boss Michael O’Neill revealed he pinpointed Ostigard last season as the ideal man to play on the right of a back three.

Just as White did for Albion last season.

It was not the biggest game of Stoke’s season – at home to Fleetwood in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

But Ostigard, who had made no secret of his desire to play a lot of matches this season, came through smoothly enough.

The irony of the role he has been given will not be lost on many Seagulls supporters.

Especially those who watched him in the opening friendly at Rangers and had him down as a natural successor to Arsenal-bound White.

There will be a lot of interest in this part of the country as to how he progresses over a long winter at Stoke.

Reflecting on the Fleetwood game, O’Neill said: “I think you saw straight away there was a fantastic athleticism to his play.

“He competed for nearly everything in the air on that side.

“He was also positive in the way he stepped in to the game, which is really important when you play three at the back.

“You need your right-sided centre-back to be brave, step into the game and use the ball well. I thought he did that very well.

“He tired a little bit in the last ten minutes, which is natural because he only arrived yesterday. We’ve got to be patient with him.”

Ostigard has enjoyed busy second-tier campaigns on loan at St Pauli and Coventry in the last two years.

O’Neill said: “We identified him at the end of last season that he was a player we’d like to have if possible.

“He will take a little bit more time in terms of getting minutes but it was an excellent debut.”

Potter said he had no plans to sign a new centre-back when White left.

He gave that reply in the media session immediately after the friendly at Luton – to a question put to him by the club’s press officer.

What is not clear – but might soon become so – is whether he was expecting Ostigard to stay for the season when he said that.

Of the list of centre-backs theoretically at his disposal early in the summer, White, Ostigard and Matt Clarke have all now left.

Shane Duffy remains on board for now and reaction during the friendlies suggests he is as popular as ever with Albion fans.

But a potential exit route for him – and easing of the financial commitment for Albion – appears to be one item on their agenda ahead of August 31.

Dan Burn is out injured but Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and the versatile Joel Veltman are available.

Speaking on BBC Radio Sussex, popular Albion observer Warren Aspinall suggested Tottenham centre-back Joe Rodon could be the man to boost the Seagulls in that area.

He said: “I’m putting two and two together with him previously working with Graham Potter at Swansea – and Spurs signing a centre-back.

“We have only got three out-and-out centre-backs at the moment.

“Veltman can go in there.

“If we get an injury in the first couple of games, we have to act very quickly.

“Ostigard has gone for a year, we can’t get him back.”

In the meantime, it would be no shock to see Albion make more use of a back four this season.

That is without White and also starting a campaign without Tariq Lamptey, for whom the wing-back system seemed almost made.

Albion could probably do worse at Turf Moor on Saturday than going with the XI which started at Luton - but with Dunk and Webster as the centre-backs.

At Kenilworth Road, Potter used Yves Bissouma at the base and Adam Lallana at the tip of a midfield diamond with Jakub Moder and Enock Mwepu in wider roles.

He had a front two of Neal Maupay and Aaron Connolly.

Maybe Leandro Trossard in for one of those two?

Do not write Connolly off for the first start of the season.

He has caused the Burnley centre-backs problems on his last two trips to Turf Moor.

And it may have been far from a coincidence that he started rather than Maupay in the friendly against Getafe.

GRAHAM POTTER SAYS BRIGHTON ARE IN A GOOD PLACE

What is going on up front will continue to be a point of debate for Albion fans But extra intrigue has been added at the back thanks to developments in the Potteries.

Both for this season and for what a successful year in that role for Ostigard at Stoke might mean for his Albion future.

It feels like a case of him opting to go on loan rather than Potter wanting to him to go.

Ostigard is not lacking self confidence.

The standard for him to follow in that specific role has been set.