Liam Ridgewell has enough wood to build and fill a new trophy cabinet now that he is playing in the States.
Albion's loan signing will be trying to fire up the Seagulls' promotion challenge again for the next month-and-a-half after leading Portland Timbers to the MLS Cup.
He has some silverware to add to his collection back home in Kent - and plenty of timber.
That is the reward from the north-west American franchise when you score for them or help them to a shut-out.
Ridgewell said: "The timber Joe (sawman) cuts off a bit of log and hands it to you, and after the game you hold it up to the crowd and show it to everybody. When he cuts it they send it all around the ground, so everybody gets to touch it before you get it.
"You do a clean sheet with a log or a goal. Before I went there I thought it was absolutely crazy but it's such a good thing to be able to interact with the fans."
Could this catch on at the Amex? A giant stick of Brighton rock perhaps? "That would be nice," Ridgewell chuckled. "Cut off a bit of rock, chip it away."
Albion need Ridgewell to be a rock in their depleted defence, at left-back or at centre-half, for six games, seven if they get past Hull in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday when he will be available to make his debut.
The former Premier League defender has been exactly that for Portland, who were big underdogs at the beginning of the season just like Albion.
His stay will be shortlived but he wants to help them to the same sort of unexpected success.
"It's a massive highlight in my career," said Ridgewell, 31. "I went over there to win stuff, I didn't just want to go there to wind down my career. I went there at 29.
"I won the Carling Cup with Birmingham, beating Arsenal in the final. That was definitely the biggest highlight of my career but winning the MLS Cup is certainly on a par with it. They've never won anything before.
"We made history by doing it. For such a great town to bring the cup home was massive. I've never experienced the celebrations we had, so it's definitely up there with winning the Carling Cup with Birmingham.
"It was an unbelievable season. The year before we missed out on the play-offs by a point. This season the main aim was to get into the play-offs. The confidence rolled from there.
"It ended up being a fantastic season. I think a lot of people were surprised we did win it. I think it relates a lot to Brighton and what is going on here at the moment.
"A lot of people may have counted them out but they've certainly turned it on and showed what they can do this season.
"That's why I compare it to Timbers. That's why I know and feel how the club is. People here I'm sure are quietly confident.
"People outside would probably have written them off at the start of the season, so I can compare that to Timbers.
"We had the same sort of thing. People were counting us out, we weren't going to make the play-offs, blahblahblah, and we went and won it and surprised a lot of people, shut a few people up. It would be nice to do that with Brighton as well."
Ridgewell is well prepared for his return to English football following a similar loan stint with Wigan last season and clashing with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Kaka in MLS.
"Every team seem to have one or two big players," he said. "It brings a bit more clout to the League. People want to know about it.
"It's going to help me, hopefully, come in here with a winning mentality to start off with, playing against those sort of guys.
"There are people in this league (Championship) who are very good players. You've got to have your wits about you.
"It is something to look forward to, coming away from America, coming back home. There's a lot of people I know, a lot of people I'll be playing against. I'm looking forward to it."
Ridgewell's temporary move back across the Atlantic reunites him with Chris Hughton. He made 19 appearances for Hughton's Birmingham in the Championship, Europa League and FA Cup in 2011-12 before returning to the Premier League with West Brom. He had played previously in the top flight for both Birmingham and cross-city rivals Aston Villa.
"I was trying to get back to the Premier League and he was trying to keep me at Birmingham and the Championship," Ridgewell said. "There was toing and froing but he handled it very well and his man-management certainly came over very strong at that time.
"I'm sure it is now and his training. I like the high-tempo training, what he likes to take into games. I think it's a very good thing. And what I've seen of Brighton he's certainly brought that with him, so I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running."
Hughton is not the only familiar face in the dressing room. Ridgewell said: "I've played against Bobby (Zamora) before. Crofty (Andrew Crofts) I used to play in the Kent League with when we were 13,14.
"He's Gillingham and I'm Bexleyheath. Liam Rosenoir from the (England) under-21s back in the day as well. I know a few of the boys which is always nice, makes things a little easier."
Original article
Albion's loan signing will be trying to fire up the Seagulls' promotion challenge again for the next month-and-a-half after leading Portland Timbers to the MLS Cup.
He has some silverware to add to his collection back home in Kent - and plenty of timber.
That is the reward from the north-west American franchise when you score for them or help them to a shut-out.
Ridgewell said: "The timber Joe (sawman) cuts off a bit of log and hands it to you, and after the game you hold it up to the crowd and show it to everybody. When he cuts it they send it all around the ground, so everybody gets to touch it before you get it.
"You do a clean sheet with a log or a goal. Before I went there I thought it was absolutely crazy but it's such a good thing to be able to interact with the fans."
Could this catch on at the Amex? A giant stick of Brighton rock perhaps? "That would be nice," Ridgewell chuckled. "Cut off a bit of rock, chip it away."
Albion need Ridgewell to be a rock in their depleted defence, at left-back or at centre-half, for six games, seven if they get past Hull in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday when he will be available to make his debut.
The former Premier League defender has been exactly that for Portland, who were big underdogs at the beginning of the season just like Albion.
His stay will be shortlived but he wants to help them to the same sort of unexpected success.
"It's a massive highlight in my career," said Ridgewell, 31. "I went over there to win stuff, I didn't just want to go there to wind down my career. I went there at 29.
"I won the Carling Cup with Birmingham, beating Arsenal in the final. That was definitely the biggest highlight of my career but winning the MLS Cup is certainly on a par with it. They've never won anything before.
"We made history by doing it. For such a great town to bring the cup home was massive. I've never experienced the celebrations we had, so it's definitely up there with winning the Carling Cup with Birmingham.
"It was an unbelievable season. The year before we missed out on the play-offs by a point. This season the main aim was to get into the play-offs. The confidence rolled from there.
"It ended up being a fantastic season. I think a lot of people were surprised we did win it. I think it relates a lot to Brighton and what is going on here at the moment.
"A lot of people may have counted them out but they've certainly turned it on and showed what they can do this season.
"That's why I compare it to Timbers. That's why I know and feel how the club is. People here I'm sure are quietly confident.
"People outside would probably have written them off at the start of the season, so I can compare that to Timbers.
"We had the same sort of thing. People were counting us out, we weren't going to make the play-offs, blahblahblah, and we went and won it and surprised a lot of people, shut a few people up. It would be nice to do that with Brighton as well."
Ridgewell is well prepared for his return to English football following a similar loan stint with Wigan last season and clashing with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane and Kaka in MLS.
"Every team seem to have one or two big players," he said. "It brings a bit more clout to the League. People want to know about it.
"It's going to help me, hopefully, come in here with a winning mentality to start off with, playing against those sort of guys.
"There are people in this league (Championship) who are very good players. You've got to have your wits about you.
"It is something to look forward to, coming away from America, coming back home. There's a lot of people I know, a lot of people I'll be playing against. I'm looking forward to it."
Ridgewell's temporary move back across the Atlantic reunites him with Chris Hughton. He made 19 appearances for Hughton's Birmingham in the Championship, Europa League and FA Cup in 2011-12 before returning to the Premier League with West Brom. He had played previously in the top flight for both Birmingham and cross-city rivals Aston Villa.
"I was trying to get back to the Premier League and he was trying to keep me at Birmingham and the Championship," Ridgewell said. "There was toing and froing but he handled it very well and his man-management certainly came over very strong at that time.
"I'm sure it is now and his training. I like the high-tempo training, what he likes to take into games. I think it's a very good thing. And what I've seen of Brighton he's certainly brought that with him, so I'm looking forward to hitting the ground running."
Hughton is not the only familiar face in the dressing room. Ridgewell said: "I've played against Bobby (Zamora) before. Crofty (Andrew Crofts) I used to play in the Kent League with when we were 13,14.
"He's Gillingham and I'm Bexleyheath. Liam Rosenoir from the (England) under-21s back in the day as well. I know a few of the boys which is always nice, makes things a little easier."
Original article