Brighton boss Graham Potter has hailed the stunning impact of young midfielder Moises Caicedo and admitted he should have picked him sooner.
The 20-year-old Ecuador international joined Albion last year but spent the first half of this season on loan at Belgian side Beerschot.
Caicedo had to wait until this month to make his Premier League debut and has shone in his two appearances to date, back-to-back victories at Arsenal and Tottenham.
“He’s been really impressive, but it’s been a strange one because he’s played a lot of big games and he’s had some really positive experiences with his national team,” said Potter. “So it’s not like he’s coming from nowhere.
“We knew his quality. It’s just that we started off the season well, he was on loan, and when he came back we were trying to find the right time to play him, the right situation, and in the end we probably, as it looks now, took too long to put him in the team.
“In the last two games he has been fantastic, but his quality has always been there. We’ve always believed in the player and always believed in what he can do.
“It’s just, as I said, trying to find the right time to put him in. We’re absolutely delighted with how he’s contributed to the team.
“Plus you’re not going to meet a nicer guy, and when you have those two combinations, there’s a nice story.”
The Seagulls head to Manchester City on Wednesday night without midfielder Yves Bissouma, who starts a two-match suspension for reaching 10 yellow cards.
Steven Alzate missed the Tottenham match through illness but is back in training and could be involved.
