Brighton boss Graham Potter insists Dan Burn’s impact at Newcastle has come as no surprise.
Towering defender Burn completed a surprise £13million switch from Brighton to St James’ Park on the final day of the January transfer window.
The 29-year-old was happy to stay on the south coast but his boyhood club managed to tempt him away.
Since making his debut for the Magpies they have won two matches and drawn one, conceding only one goal.
Brighton, by contrast, have leaked 10 goals in five games and only won once since Burn’s departure.
“I think he has done really well,” said Potter. “What we would expect of him, I would say, because everyone held him in such high regard here.
“He was fantastic for me. I think he is playing with a real confidence and a real maturity that he had, and it is nice that he’s taken that to his new club, and we are pleased for him.
“Obviously we don’t want it to go so well for him at the weekend, but apart from that we wish him well.
“The guys have been in touch with him and I’ll look forward to seeing him at the game. It is an exciting move for him, and an exciting time.”
Incredibly, Brighton have not lost against Newcastle in any of their nine meetings in the Premier League, and they have not let in a single goal at St James’ Park.
But Potter admits the Magpies are a different proposition following Eddie Howe’s appointment as manager and the cash injection from the new owners.
“Normally, when we have played Newcastle, there has been quite a bit of negativity around, so in some ways we are looking forward to seeing the other side which is a positive crowd getting behind the team,” he said.
“That increases the challenge for us, but that is also exciting.
“They’re more on the front foot, more intense, they attack and defend better. Everything has grown in terms of results and positivity, they’ve had the investment, the crowd has become a lot more positive.
“Eddie and his staff have been the catalyst for that and they’ve not just invested in players, they’ve improved the ones that were there before. I think everything has improved and that shows in the results.”
