Inigo Calderon wants to follow his Basque country role model Aitor Karanka into management in England.
But Albion's stalwart defender believes he has a couple more years left in him as a player first.
Calderon makes the 223rd appearance of his career for the Seagulls against Karanka's table-topping Middlesbrough at the Amex today.
The left-back deputy has come a long way since his debut for the club in the depths of League One at snowbound Walsall almost six years ago.
And even further since playing for Karanka's father as a junior in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque region in northern Spain where they both grew up.
Calderon revealed: "His dad was my manager when I was under 13's. Aitor is famous because we don't have many players from Vitoria playing in La Liga but he played for Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, and after he worked for Mourinho at Madrid.
"Everyone in Spain talks about him as the assistant of Mourinho. Aitor had one of the best experiences by working with for two years with Jose Mourinho, who is one of the best managers in the world.
"In the Basque region we are more English than the south. For example the football, we play more physical, maybe because of the difference in weather. Maybe the reason why Aitor is doing so well is because he is from the Basque country, so he knows how to play physical and stylish.
"He was definitely a role model. Being from Basque and playing for a club like Real Madrid, it is inspirational. I would always want to watch him because he is from where I am from."
While Mourinho has been sacked by Chelsea, Karanka remains very much in charge of a resolute Middlesbrough who have sneaked above Albion at the top on goal difference after seven clean sheets in their last eight league games, a run ruined for last year's beaten play-off finalists only by a 3-0 defeat at fellow challengers Hull last month.
Calderon said: "Even last year they worked so well tactically and defensively. They don't win many games two, three or four-nil. The results are quite close, only 1-0, maybe 2-1.
"That shows they are doing something good, that they are tactically really well prepared. For them it's important to keep a clean sheet and after take it from there.
"They are doing allright so you have to respect that and even learn from them."
Calderon has been learning from Chris Hughton during the eleven-and-a-half-months in which he has transformed Albion from relegation candidates into promotion contenders.
He was eager to work under an English manager after playing for Gyus Poyet, Oscar Garcia and Sami Hyypia with the Seagulls.
Calderon told The Argus: "The good thing is we have improved with him so everything he does with us you listen better, because it is working.
"Sometimes you can have a good manager but if you are not winning games you start to not believe in him.
"This last year with Chris has been so good. I like to have a lot of managers, to take a lot of good things from everyone and don't take the bad things. I'm doing that with Chris as well.
"He likes to have everything under control, even the small details. I think that's good.
"Maybe players or people can think small details are not important. For me they are. To be on time for lunch for some maybe is not important, for me everything is important.
"He is like that. He likes to have everything under control, everything right on time, spot-on. That comes in the game on the pitch afterwards as well."
Calderon, 34 next month, has already started his coaching badges with a view to moving into management when his playing days are over.
"Here in England, because I think I could affect the game more with my ideas," he said.
"I have the experience of being an English footballer but I still have my kind of Spanish ideas.
"I want to just enjoy every single second here. I don't put a limit on retiring by a certain age, I still think I can play a few more years.
"I've been training so much to be able to do it. For two or three years I want to still keep playing.
"My first idea then would be to be a manager but I know it's complicated because there are not too many places to be and a lot of players want to be managers.
"I know I'm going to be a good one! That's my idea and I have a few more just in case, a Plan B, Plan C. Plan D. You can't have just one plan.
"For me that's still quite far away. I'm still learning for the future. It's good as well to look at it that way, try to improve as a footballer, try to think a bit if you were a manager how you would play in a game.
"When you want to learn, every day can be a lesson. I try to do it that way."
Original article
But Albion's stalwart defender believes he has a couple more years left in him as a player first.
Calderon makes the 223rd appearance of his career for the Seagulls against Karanka's table-topping Middlesbrough at the Amex today.
The left-back deputy has come a long way since his debut for the club in the depths of League One at snowbound Walsall almost six years ago.
And even further since playing for Karanka's father as a junior in Vitoria-Gasteiz, the capital of the Basque region in northern Spain where they both grew up.
Calderon revealed: "His dad was my manager when I was under 13's. Aitor is famous because we don't have many players from Vitoria playing in La Liga but he played for Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, and after he worked for Mourinho at Madrid.
"Everyone in Spain talks about him as the assistant of Mourinho. Aitor had one of the best experiences by working with for two years with Jose Mourinho, who is one of the best managers in the world.
"In the Basque region we are more English than the south. For example the football, we play more physical, maybe because of the difference in weather. Maybe the reason why Aitor is doing so well is because he is from the Basque country, so he knows how to play physical and stylish.
"He was definitely a role model. Being from Basque and playing for a club like Real Madrid, it is inspirational. I would always want to watch him because he is from where I am from."
While Mourinho has been sacked by Chelsea, Karanka remains very much in charge of a resolute Middlesbrough who have sneaked above Albion at the top on goal difference after seven clean sheets in their last eight league games, a run ruined for last year's beaten play-off finalists only by a 3-0 defeat at fellow challengers Hull last month.
Calderon said: "Even last year they worked so well tactically and defensively. They don't win many games two, three or four-nil. The results are quite close, only 1-0, maybe 2-1.
"That shows they are doing something good, that they are tactically really well prepared. For them it's important to keep a clean sheet and after take it from there.
"They are doing allright so you have to respect that and even learn from them."
Calderon has been learning from Chris Hughton during the eleven-and-a-half-months in which he has transformed Albion from relegation candidates into promotion contenders.
He was eager to work under an English manager after playing for Gyus Poyet, Oscar Garcia and Sami Hyypia with the Seagulls.
Calderon told The Argus: "The good thing is we have improved with him so everything he does with us you listen better, because it is working.
"Sometimes you can have a good manager but if you are not winning games you start to not believe in him.
"This last year with Chris has been so good. I like to have a lot of managers, to take a lot of good things from everyone and don't take the bad things. I'm doing that with Chris as well.
"He likes to have everything under control, even the small details. I think that's good.
"Maybe players or people can think small details are not important. For me they are. To be on time for lunch for some maybe is not important, for me everything is important.
"He is like that. He likes to have everything under control, everything right on time, spot-on. That comes in the game on the pitch afterwards as well."
Calderon, 34 next month, has already started his coaching badges with a view to moving into management when his playing days are over.
"Here in England, because I think I could affect the game more with my ideas," he said.
"I have the experience of being an English footballer but I still have my kind of Spanish ideas.
"I want to just enjoy every single second here. I don't put a limit on retiring by a certain age, I still think I can play a few more years.
"I've been training so much to be able to do it. For two or three years I want to still keep playing.
"My first idea then would be to be a manager but I know it's complicated because there are not too many places to be and a lot of players want to be managers.
"I know I'm going to be a good one! That's my idea and I have a few more just in case, a Plan B, Plan C. Plan D. You can't have just one plan.
"For me that's still quite far away. I'm still learning for the future. It's good as well to look at it that way, try to improve as a footballer, try to think a bit if you were a manager how you would play in a game.
"When you want to learn, every day can be a lesson. I try to do it that way."
Original article