Albion boss Chris Hughton is relishing the prospect of working again with Andrew Crofts.

Hughton believes the injury-ravaged midfielder will add leadership qualities to his squad.

Crofts, 30, is on course to return to action with the Seagulls next season after suffering serious knee damage twice in ten months.

The combative Wales international, who played briefly under Hughton at Norwich, has been sidelined since sustaining a partial tear to his anterior cruciate ligament and a tear to the meniscus in his right knee at Watford in early October.

He missed the last five months of the previous season after cruciate ligament damage to the same knee.

Hughton told The Argus: “He’s had a really tough time. I knew him firstly at Norwich for a very short period of time and liked him then. If we are talking about characters and leader-types he is one.

“All his rehab work has been fine. He’s not had any setbacks. The plan is for him to have a good summer and start pre-season with us. It will be good to have him back involved.”

Albion missed the competitive, old-school instincts of Crofts, who captained the team in his first spell at the club.

Hughton said: “The modern day footballer is different. Certainly if you go back over the years players tended to be more vocal in the changing room or meetings.

“It’s a little bit of a different generation now. Are there the leaders that were around in the past? Most managers would say they would like more leader-types in the team and the squad.

“I’ve got a good group here and among the senior players really good individuals who are good around the younger ones, Bruno, Calde, Greer.”