Sidwell’s future plans

Ahead of Brighton’s Friday night clash with Nottingham Forest live on Sky Sports, Adam Bate caught up with midfielder Steve Sidwell to find out the mood in the camp, the changes at the club since his first spell and why he is now thinking like a coach…

They say the Championship is tough so what’s it like after almost a decade away? Brighton’s Steve Sidwell can’t say he’s missed it after spending the bulk of his career in the Premier League, but he is excited about the club’s future and his own career beyond retirement.

In February, Sidwell rejoined the side he’d played for as a teenager on loan from Arsenal. With more than 13 years having passed since then, it wasn’t just the personnel at Brighton that had changed. There was a new stadium, a new training ground and new ambitions.

Chris Hughton’s men missed out on promotion in May but Sidwell has turned his loan into a one-year contract and the optimism remains. Speaking to him about the Seagulls, his eyes light up and it’s obvious he’s invigorated by being back. He even refers to the place as home.

“I’m enjoying it,” he tells Sky Sports. “I’m in Epsom at the top of the A23 so it’s an easy route to get down and I car share with David Stockdale who lives around the corner from me. It’s back home for me as I spent a lot of summers down there.

“It was an easy decision. Just missing out last year gave me that bit more of an incentive to sign again and go one more. The lads are really good and the dressing room is probably one of the best that I’ve been in for feeling at ease. There are no egos.”

The feeling persists that it’s a club going in the right direction. The days of the Withdean are long gone. “It was a running track with a temporary stand,” recalls Sidwell. “A lot’s changed since then but it just shows the intent and the good hands that the football club …

continue reading in source www.skysports.com