Nigeria international defender Leon Balogun is relishing the competition he has to
overcome to seal a regular starting berth at the Premier League club Brighton and Hove Albion this
season.
Balogun, who
signed for Brighton on a free transfer in May, made his debut for the club in
their pre-season friendly against Charlton Athletic earlier this week,
featuring alongside Lewis Dunk in central defence.
"It's
always good to have that competition, it will improve all of us as defenders
and then we have to take it from there," Balogun told the club's website
here.
“I’ve seen
the qualities of Lewis (Dunk) and Shane (Duffy) in the past week or so since
I’ve been here...
“Both are
very strong physically and you can tell that they’ve played here for a long
time already, but I have qualities myself and I’ll put in my best and see what
happens from there.”
Balogun
played in all three of Nigeria’s group stage matches at this year’s World Cup
but understands that his international achievements do not guarantee an
automatic starting role at the club.
“The
strikers in the Premier League will have a bit more quality than the World Cup
in my opinion, and I think the qualities of the offensive players in the
division mean it will be an exciting challenge for me,” he added.
“I’ve come
into a side where the two central defenders did very well last year – I just
have to do my best, work hard and then you hope it’s enough.
“I can’t
come in and say I’ve played in the World Cup and I should start – it has to be
about me earning a place in the team.”
Brighton
continue their pre-season preparations against Birmingham City on Saturday.
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