Will Buckley leaves Albion for Sunderland and Poyet

It came as no surprise to Albion fans to hear of Will Buckley's departure to Sunderland today, reuniting with Gus Poyet, the man who brought him to Brighton and the man who got the best out of him in a Brighton shirt. The deal, in the region of £2.5m represents a sound return on a player that joined the Albion in a £1m deal from Watford in the Summer of 2011. As part of that deal, Watford will receive c£225,000 due to a 15% sell-on clause negotiated at the time.

Fan reaction is mixed. Buckley is clearly a special talent, a genuine game changer and match winner on his day - a player who can get supporters genuinely excited. The Amex loved it when William, William Buckley went down the wing for us. His movements of brilliance have been few and far between of late and there is the ongoing concern about the fragility of his hamstrings when he really tried to turn on the speed.

Glorious in full flight

Under Sami Hyypia it looks like Albion will rely on fullbacks bombing forward to provide width and questions have been asked just how Kazenga LuaLua and Buckley will fit in, or adapt, to a change in playing style. LuaLua seems to have been Sami's preference in his short time at the club, with Kaz playing more centrally than has been seen before.

Albion fans who think of Buckley as a bit of a sick-note may be surprised to know that Buckley had featured over 100 times over his three full seasons at the Amex, although around a third of those were from the bench. Buckley scored 19 times for the Seagulls, with his brace that defeated Doncaster in the opening fixture at the Amex giving Albion fans a memory they will not forget.

There can be few Albion fans who won't wish Buckley well as he enters the Premier League spotlight. Match of the Day will be a more interesting watch this season as Buckley joins the likes of Leonardo Ulloa, Ashley Barnes and Sunderland team mate Liam Bridcutt plying his trade in the Most Exciting League in the World (TM).