Brighton hero Solly March opens up on career regret amid Roberto De Zerbi point

The 29-year-old was playing the football of his life before suffering a serious knee injury in October and now he is on the comeback trail.

Much of that upturn in form, where he scored eight goals last season and three in nine games this term, came under head coach De Zerbi’s tutelage.

While the winger always had talent, it took a while for him to get the best out of him after previously never having scored more than three goals in a campaign under former managers Chris Hughton and Graham Potter.

And the former Lewes man admits he wished he could have been less hard on himself when earning his stripes in professional football.

When asked if he would do anything differently in his career, he told the club’s YouTube channel: "I think maybe not enjoy it more but just put less pressure on myself from an earlier age and I think I have done that more since the new gaffer [De Zerbi] has been here.

"Just taking it as it comes, not putting as much pressure on myself, and trying to do what I do without thinking about it too much. If I did that at an earlier age I maybe could have got to that level a bit earlier. I am still hopeful I can get there and do it for a few more years and even longer hopefully."

De Zerbi took over at Brighton in September 2022 and helped Albion finish sixth in the Premier League last season and now they are competing in the Europa League, too.