Hands up, who had goalkeeper down as a position the Albion needed to strengthen in the January transfer window? I would hazard a guess at virtually nobody, making Brighton signing Steven Hall from Australian A-League club Adelaide United something of a surprise.
The 19-year-old joins for an undisclosed fee and will initially link up with the Under 21s. His capture gives the Albion eight goalkeepers across their development and first team squads.
Brighton now have Jason Steele and Bart Verbruggen competing (or somewhat controversially this season, sharing) the number one shirt.
Tom McGill is third choice and plays occasional for the Under 21s, with 20-year-old Killian Cahill the most called upon goalkeeper by Shannon Ruth so far this season.
In addition to those four currently at the Amex, Brighton sent three highly rated goalkeepers out on loan this season.
Kjell Scherpen was impressing both domestically and in the Europa League with Sturm Graz before season ending knee surgery. Scherpen signed a new contact with the Albion running until June 2027 in December and is expected to return to Sturm for another season long loan in 2024-25.
Carl Rushworth has long been hailed as a future Brighton number one, having been watched by Barcelona when he was on loan at Worthing. Yes, scouts from La Masia really did rock up to Woodside Road. Rushworth is at Championship side Swansea City for the season.
James Beadle meanwhile impressed so much during the first half of the campaign at Oxford United that his development has already been accelerated with a January upgrade to Championship football, joining Sheffield Wednesday.
Beadle seemingly has the potential to become the best goalkeeper of the lot; Steele, Verbruggen and the rest with designs on being Roberto De Zerbi’s first choice will have to watch out when Beadle’s about.
What then of this latest recruit to the growing goalkeeper ranks at Brighton, Steven Hall? Let’s start with the important stuff, which is that he must be the only 19-year-old outside of Tennessee with a mullet.
Not only that, but he combines it with a beautiful moustache to look like a dark-haired, young version of Billy Ray Cyrus. Before he has even kicked a ball in England, Hall has made himself a firm WAB favourite.
He became the youngest goalkeeper to make his debut in the A-League aged 16 years and 350 days for Adelaide United on New Year’s Day 2022, replacing the injured James Delianov after 31 minutes.
Hall went onto record a clean sheet as United eased to a 4-0 win over Wellington Phoenix. He made two further appearances in the 2021-22 but has not featured in a first team game for Adelaide since.
At international level, Hall has represented Australia at every age group. His Under 23s debut came in November and he will know Albion forward Cam Peupion from his time with the Olyroos squad.
Steven Hall of course is not the first Australian goalkeeper to sign for Brighton. Maty Ryan was undisputed Albion number one through the club’s first three-and-a-half seasons in the Premier League before being replaced by Robert Sanchez.
Ryan was the subject of heavy criticism by the end of his spell with the club, which was bizarre as he barely put a foot wrong through those first three years.
He also became the first highly paid Premier League goalkeeper in history to try and sell a second-hand double bed on the internet after his permanent transfer from the Albion to Real Sociedad was confirmed in the summer of 2021.
