Albion boss Chris Hughton has ticked off fellow manager Phil Brown for making public his interest in offering Glen Rea a permanent contract.
The versatile Albion prospect’s loan spell with Brown’s Southend United ended on Saturday.
Brown, in the build-up to the final game of Rea’s loan, told the Southend Echo: “I want Glen to stay at the football club and I’ve told him that. We haven’t spoken about terms or anything like that because it hasn’t got to that stage at the moment but I would like to offer him a two-and-a-half-year deal and I’ve told him that.
“However, it’s not all down to us and much of what happens is going to be down to Brighton and their manager Chris Hughton because he’s still under contract there until the end of the season.”
Hughton was surprised by Brown’s remarks. He said: “I know Phil very well and probably that’s the type of quote that nobody should really know about, because that’s a conversation that I’ve had with him.
“At this moment Glen comes back and then we’ll assess it from there. For us it’s about a decision on whether he stays with us for a little while, or whether he goes somewhere where he can get more games.”
Rea, 21, was substituted early in the second half of Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Doncaster Rovers which kept Southend just outside the League One play-off zone.
The Republic of Ireland under-21 international, who can play at centre-half or in midfield, made six starts and ten substitute appearances for the Essex club after joining them in August.
Rea made his first team debut for Albion at Southend in the Capital One Cup in August. The Brighton-born product of the youth system’s only other senior appearance came in the same competition later in the month at Walsall.
Original article
The versatile Albion prospect’s loan spell with Brown’s Southend United ended on Saturday.
Brown, in the build-up to the final game of Rea’s loan, told the Southend Echo: “I want Glen to stay at the football club and I’ve told him that. We haven’t spoken about terms or anything like that because it hasn’t got to that stage at the moment but I would like to offer him a two-and-a-half-year deal and I’ve told him that.
“However, it’s not all down to us and much of what happens is going to be down to Brighton and their manager Chris Hughton because he’s still under contract there until the end of the season.”
Hughton was surprised by Brown’s remarks. He said: “I know Phil very well and probably that’s the type of quote that nobody should really know about, because that’s a conversation that I’ve had with him.
“At this moment Glen comes back and then we’ll assess it from there. For us it’s about a decision on whether he stays with us for a little while, or whether he goes somewhere where he can get more games.”
Rea, 21, was substituted early in the second half of Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Doncaster Rovers which kept Southend just outside the League One play-off zone.
The Republic of Ireland under-21 international, who can play at centre-half or in midfield, made six starts and ten substitute appearances for the Essex club after joining them in August.
Rea made his first team debut for Albion at Southend in the Capital One Cup in August. The Brighton-born product of the youth system’s only other senior appearance came in the same competition later in the month at Walsall.
Original article