Graham Potter says Brighton’s rising star Tariq Lamptey has the mentality to go far in the game.
The 20-year-old, who joined the Seagulls from Chelsea in January, has made an impressive start to life on the south coast and has reportedly caught the eye of some of the top clubs in Europe.
Lamptey has only made 15 Premier League appearances but Potter is excited by his potential.
“I’ve always said he’s a great down-to-earth lad, so credit to him and his family,” Potter said ahead of Sunday’s visit to Tottenham. “A lot of the interpersonal qualities he’s got in terms of just wanting to help the team and wants to learn, wants to improve, are good.
“He’s just a really coachable young guy. He’s obviously got a long way to go in his career, but we’re excited for him and at the same time we have to understand that he’s not played a lot of games, he’s only young, his demand physically in terms of how he plays is huge.
“So we have to be careful with him as well. But we’re delighted with him.
“He’s not your average kind of 20-year-old, I think. I think he just understands and really respects, and has just got an incredible amount of humility that he knows how fortunate he is, he knows what an opportunity he has in life, loves football, loves to play football, wants to do the best he can for his family and for himself and for the team.
“He’s a selfless character who just wants to work hard. I’m sure there are 20-year-olds that are like that, but maybe there are one or two that aren’t.”
