Ferdi Kadioglu and his potential defensive sidekick Jan Paul van Hecke have a couple of things in common.
The former is grateful for one but was unaware of the other.
Van Hecke is one of the Dutch players who has been helping Kadioglu, born and brought up in the Netherlands, settle in.
The pre-deadline signing is grateful for that but unaware that, like him, van Hecke played as a No.10 as a young player.
Kadioglu stayed in that role rather longer than van Hecke but Albion have signed him predominantly as a progressive full-back and for that they can thank his former Fenerbahce coach.
He said: “It was Vitor Pereira. He played with wing-backs and three central defenders.
“He tried me out there and I liked the position.
“Since then I have never moved away from that position.
“He told me why he was doing it. Sometimes coaches say ‘Just go there to fill the position’ but he had a really good plan with me and it has worked out.
“I think nowadays the full-back position has changed.
“They are important also in attack and also in defending.
“It suits me well. I put a lot of energy into the game.
“I am a player who can play inside as a full-back but also outside.
“Throughout my academy years I just played as a No.10.
“Sometimes as a right winger but never as a full-back. But every day I improve.”
Pereira, the Portuguese coach now in charge at Al Shabab via spells at Corinthians and Flamengo in Brazil, said: “One of his strengths is that he can play on both sides very comfortably.
“And so he accepted my challenge, changed his position and started to improve a lot.
“Because he didn’t start as a defender, he has offensive DNA.”
Kadioglu is not the only recent Albion addition to mention discussions he had with Fabian Huerzeler before opting to sign.
He said: “If I look to the past years, Brighton improved a lot of players to a high level and sell them to the top four.
“I wanted to make a new step, to improve myself and to play in a bigger league.
“The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world.
“I had a meeting with the coach.
“He has a very good plan, a very clear explanation of what he wants from me and the aim for the club this season.”
All of which leaves one head coach not so happy.
Jose Mourinho had two defeats at the Amex with Manchester United and one with Tottenham and the current Fenerbahce boss has now lost out to Albion again.
Kadioglu said: “I don’t think he was happy.
“Of course it is not an easy decision to leave the club. I was there for six years.
“I think it was the right time to make the step.
“I am 24 years old now, right in the middle of my career and I wanted to show myself in a higher league.”
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