Two Spaniards, a Frenchman and a boy from Cumbria: The top ten Brighton players of the decade

Brighton who have been a Premier League side since 2017 are currently priced at 7/1 with Ladbrokes free bet sites to be relegated this season.

As we slowly travel through the first few months of the new decade, it’s only fair to try and pick out those that lit up the last.

Gordon Greer – 2010-2016
With 233 appearances under his belt and five goals, defensive hardman Gordon Greer earns his place on this list. His first appearance in a Brighton shirt did not go down well however as he was sent off against Rochdale in August 2010. Despite this, Greer was made club captain and provided sound leadership as Albion earned promotion in 2010-11.

David Stockdale – 2014-2017
Signed from Fulham in 2014, ‘keeper David Stockdale initially helped Hull City to promotion to the Premier League whilst on-loan. Stockdale came into his own in 2015 and kept 20 clean sheets as Albion earned promotion in 2016-17. 139 appearances later and the goalkeeper moved to Birmingham City following that promotion.

Dale Stephens – 2014-present
Signed from Charlton Athletic in January 2014, Dale Stephens has been a model of consistency for Brighton since his move. He played all but one game in the 2015-16 season, but was sent off in the final league game at Middlesbrough which ensured he would miss the play-off semi-final. That didn’t matter as a year later Stephens and Albion made it to the top flight under boss Chris Hughton, with the midfielder an ever-present. Stephens has since gone on to make 188 appearances with 15 goals.

Maty Ryan – 2017-present
Having made just shy of 100 appearances for Brighton since his move in 2017, Australian Maty Ryan has become a firm fans’ favourite at The Amex. The ‘keeper played every minute of Brighton’s first season in the top flight with ten clean sheets and continues to earn rave reviews with some outstanding saves and great ball distribution.

Shane Duffy – 2016-present
Signed from Blackburn Rovers in 2016, Shane Duffy has become the beating heart of Albion’s defence. Earned promotion with the Seagulls in 2017 and took to Premier League life like a duck to water, topping the lists for defensive blocks (59) and clearances (327) in his and Brighton’s first season back in the top flight. 109 appearances and eight goals later, Duffy is perhaps the first name on boss Graham Potter’s team sheet.

Anthony Knockaert – 2016-2019
Championship hotshot Anthony Knockaert signed for Brighton in January 2016 and played a key role as Albion just missed out on promotion. However, the mercurial winger played his part a year later as Brighton stormed to the Premier League. The Frenchman made 127 appearances, scoring 25 goals before moving to Fulham on a season-long loan in 2019.

Inigo Calderon – 2010-2016
Signed for Brighton in January 2010, Inigo Calderon almost left the club in the summer before becoming a key player in Gus Poyet’s promotion-from-League-One-side. Scoring 18 goals in 212 appearances, the Spaniard returned on the day Albion earned promotion to the top flight to great applause.

Bruno – 2012-2019
A huge figure in defence, Bruno signed for Brighton at the beginning of the 2012-13 season and quickly became a fans’ favourite. At the age of 36, Bruno helped Brighton reach the Premier League, missing just four games that season. The Spaniard continued to undermine critics of his age with 25 appearances in 2017-18. He retired in 2019 following 225 appearances and is now a part of Graham Potter’s coaching staff.

Lewis Dunk – 2010-present
A player for the whole decade, Lewis Dunk has become an integral part of the Albion side that earned promotion back in 2016-17, partnering Shane Duffy to just 40 conceded goals all that season. Dunk stepped up to the top flight easily, taking over the club captaincy in 2019 and earning an England call-up in November 2018. 269 appearances and 16 goals later, Dunk has been through all the bad times and good times at the club.

Glenn Murray – 2010-11 and 2015-present
Who else could top this list but the man that fired Albion to two promotions? Glenn Murray scored 22 goals in 42 games for Gus Poyet in the 2010-11 promotion-winning season, but surprisingly left for Crystal Palace. Murray returned to the south coast in summer 2016 and continued his scintillating form, scoring 23 goals in 45 games in 2016-17 as Albion earned promotion to the top flight. And, 25 goals over the next two seasons proved critics wrong as the striker proved he had what it takes to make it in the Premier League. Murray has netted 74 goals in 177 appearances, nearing Tommy Cook’s record for Brighton.