Adam Webster has revealed he wanted to take a break from football – to concentrate on cricket.

The Albion defender will be among the players getting to know the methods employed by Roberto De Zerbi and his staff as the Seagulls prepare to resume their season.

A four-week break between fixtures comes to an end at Liverpool on Saturday.

Albion will take a new guard in front of the Kop - literally, if De Zerbi switches to back four.

Webster has come up through the divisions after learning his football – and indeed cricket – growing up in the south west corner of Sussex.

He learned to love the summer sport at senior school and played club cricket for Stirlands.

Webster was invited to bat in the nets at Sussex recently, facing Delray Rawlins while Cheteshwar Pujara stood to one side giving instructions.

It brought back a few good memories.

Webster said: “When I was younger, I used to love playing.

“I didn’t start playing cricket until I went to high school, so about 12.

“Then 12 to 16 I loved it and, when I was around 15, I actually hated football.

“I used to love playing cricket with my friends instead.

“I didn’t want to go to play football for Pompey in pre-season training.

“My mum made me go, to be fair, and I have never looked back since then.

“But there was a time when I really was contemplating not playing football.

“There was probably a period of about a year when I didn’t enjoy football.

“Luckily, I got through that period and I haven’t look back since,”

Webster’s efforts in the nets, along with Solly March, were shown as part of the Premier League publicity push in India.

He said: “It has been a while since I have been in the nets.

“I batted and bowled. I was medium pace, a bit of swing.”

Stirlands, in Birdham, is the home club of Sean Heather, a prolific batsman who had a stint on the Sussex staff.

But there was no real chance of the current Albion No.4 earning a living from the game.

He said: “No, absolutely not. I was never good enough to be a pro.

“I always used to get really nervous when I was batting.

“In the nets I was fine but, when I had to defend my wicket, I was nervous.

“In the nets I would play so many good shots.

“When it came to actually taking risks properly in a game, it was different.”

Webster has certainly overcome that and has the confidence and courage to play out from the back in the demanding environment of the Premier League.

It appears those qualities will continue to be fundamental in the football preferred by De Zerbi.

The Italian tends to play with two centre-backs and asks them to pass the ball from deep.

That could be Webster and Lewis Dunk.

That ethos of poise and bravery on the ball established under Graham Potter will stay the same under new management, even if the team shape changes.

Speaking when Potter was still in charge, Webster said: “In this team, we want to control the ball and get on the ball as much as we can.

“Me and Dunky were talking about it.

“The first two games, against Manchester United and Newcastle, we hardly touched the ball.

“Last season we were so used to having the ball a lot.

“We probably, between the two of us, had most passes out of everyone.

“The first couple of games wasn’t really like that.

“Then at West Ham it felt like we got on the ball a lot more and that’s what we are good at, to be honest.

“It is something we have all got to be able to do and we have got to enjoy it.”

Webster should be on the same footballing wavelength as his new boss.

Just don’t expect him to impress the Italian with his forward defensive.