Ex-West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast: "I remember in my playing days when Brighton nearly went out of the Football League completely. If Brighton continue to progress and do make that Champions League, they're one of the teams that real football fans will want to see win the Champions League. That's the story of football, that's the beauty of the game.

"They've taken risks, there were so many people doubting Roberto de Zerbi when he came in, asking what he knew about the Premier League. But the reality is he's elevated Brighton to another level that Graham Potter probably couldn't have done."

Former Tottenham manager Rehanne Skinner said: "Putting in so much around the manager, enabling him to be successful, is underrated externally. The stuff that goes on on the pitch needs all of that behind.

"In every management job, it's really difficult to stick to just doing your role as a manager if you don't have those pieces of the jigsaw properly behind you."

But Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards added: "Everybody knows I love Brighton - there's so much to like about them. The problem Brighton are now going to have is, as with Potter, people will come for him. If they have another good season next season, one of the big clubs will come and poach De Zerbi."