Albion have signed defender Rohan Ince on an 18-month development deal, which will contract him to the Seagulls until June 2014.
The 20-year-old graduated through the academy at Chelsea after joining the Blues as a seven-year-old, but had his contract terminated last week allowing him to join Albion on a free transfer.
The imposing defender has been on trial at the Amex, playing against Bournemouth and Ipswich Town for the development squad side last month, and is delighted to complete the move.
He told seagulls.co.uk, “It's a positive signing for me as Albion are a very good team with a beautiful stadium. The football they play is so similar to Chelsea and I can see myself fitting in. It's always hard leaving Chelsea but I’m very pleased to find this club.
"I knew Albion were a good footballing side, they play out from the back and are in a good competitive position to break into the Premier League within the next few seasons.
"I hope I can perform to a high level within the development squad and then get a chance to prove myself in the first team in the future."
Ince, who is second cousin to Blackpool winger Thomas Ince, enjoyed success at youth level in West London, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2010 and became a regular in the Chelsea reserve team last season. He also has Football League experience following a loan spell at League One Yeovil Town earlier this season.
Development squad coach Luke Williams added, “Rohan has been with Chelsea for over ten years and you don’t stay at a club like that unless you have real quality. We hope he can use that quality here and learn the Brighton way of playing to build a career at this club.
“It’s not that common in England that you find a centre-back who is over six foot tall and comfortable with the ball at their feet. Rohan is just that, and for the way we play at Brighton, that’s a very important quality as we build possession from the back.”
Original article
The 20-year-old graduated through the academy at Chelsea after joining the Blues as a seven-year-old, but had his contract terminated last week allowing him to join Albion on a free transfer.
The imposing defender has been on trial at the Amex, playing against Bournemouth and Ipswich Town for the development squad side last month, and is delighted to complete the move.
He told seagulls.co.uk, “It's a positive signing for me as Albion are a very good team with a beautiful stadium. The football they play is so similar to Chelsea and I can see myself fitting in. It's always hard leaving Chelsea but I’m very pleased to find this club.
"I knew Albion were a good footballing side, they play out from the back and are in a good competitive position to break into the Premier League within the next few seasons.
"I hope I can perform to a high level within the development squad and then get a chance to prove myself in the first team in the future."
Ince, who is second cousin to Blackpool winger Thomas Ince, enjoyed success at youth level in West London, winning the FA Youth Cup in 2010 and became a regular in the Chelsea reserve team last season. He also has Football League experience following a loan spell at League One Yeovil Town earlier this season.
Development squad coach Luke Williams added, “Rohan has been with Chelsea for over ten years and you don’t stay at a club like that unless you have real quality. We hope he can use that quality here and learn the Brighton way of playing to build a career at this club.
“It’s not that common in England that you find a centre-back who is over six foot tall and comfortable with the ball at their feet. Rohan is just that, and for the way we play at Brighton, that’s a very important quality as we build possession from the back.”
Original article