Graham Potter has backed his skipper Lewis Dunk to emulate West Ham counterpart Mark Noble in playing Premier League football into his mid-thirties.
Long-serving Hammers midfielder Noble, 35, is poised to retire following the season finale against Albion.
Potter believes Dunk, 30-year-old, can enjoy similar longevity to rival skipper Noble.
The Seagulls boss said: “He can because he looks after himself so well.
“As he’s got older, I think he’s got more and more aware of what he needs to do, how he needs to look after his body.
“He’s more and more intelligent, as you’d imagine. The more experience he gains, the more knowledge of himself and the team and the game (he has), so these little things help as you get older.
“He’s had a challenging year, the first major injury he’s had in his career, so he had to psychologically deal with that.
“It wasn’t easy for him because his standards are so high.
“But I think you’ve seen recently, he’s back to his top form and we didn’t have any doubts of course but it’s a process still you have to go through.
“He’s been great support for me since I’ve been here and we’re delighted to have him as a one-club guy.”
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