Brighton midfielder Billy Gilmour has said he felt ‘no pressure’ coming in to the side to replace the outgoing Moises Caicedo.
Caicedo left for Chelsea in August for a record fee of £115 million, which meant he needed to be replaced in the team. Brighton have made the signing of Carlos Baleba from Lille who is seen as being a direct replacement, but he is yet to make his debut for the club.
Gilmour has started three of the opening four games of the Premier League season and is relishing the regular playing time, and is happy to be finally getting it, with manager Roberto De Zerbi admitting he should have given Gilmour more game time earlier.
Gilmour told the Daily Record: “It was a nice feeling when he said that. I played the majority of games towards the end of the season and I have been involved in every one so far this season. I felt no pressure coming in. I was there last season, I worked under both Alexis MacAllister and Moises Caicedo and I’m buzzing for them that they got two top moves.
“They will go on to do very well. But now it’s for us at Brighton to step up and be counted and I have to make sure I can give it my all. Fair play to Brighton, their model works. They bring in young players and we have a very young squad with players like Ansu Fati, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson.
Gilmour looking forward to Europe
Gilmour went on about the good start to the season for Brighton and looking forward to European football, and how the age of squad seems to go under the radar.
“We have still got a young, young squad but when we go on the pitch it doesn’t feel like ‘he’s this age and I’m that age’ or whatever. We know what we have to do.
“It has been a good start to the season. It’s down to working hard in training and having a bit of self-confidence.
“It’s also about waiting to get an opportunity and I got that at the end of last season. I knew it was a big season when I came back after the summer.
“The manager has given me confidence going into every game and he trusts me. Last season we did really well and now this season we have got the Europa League. What a group, with Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens. It’s going to be a great experience for all of us.”