Jason Steele

Steele has spent years understanding exactly what Brighton ask of a goalkeeper in possession, comfortable receiving a pass under pressure and finding a teammate rather than simply clearing his lines under panic. That specific skill matters more at this club than at most others, because the whole team builds attacks from the back rather than around a goalkeeper who just kicks long. When he does get a run of matches, that calmness rarely looks like a rusty deputy stepping in.

The difficulty with being a long serving number two is staying sharp for moments that might not arrive for months at a time, then performing instantly once they do. Confidence and rhythm are hard things to fake in goal. How he manages that mental side of the job, rather than the technical side he has clearly mastered, is what actually decides whether Brighton trust him when it matters.