Richy_Seagull
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- #21
Albion have signed Craig Mackail-Smith from Peterborough United for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal.
The striker, 27, has opted for the Amex Stadium despite interest from a number of Championship and Premier League clubs, and Seagulls boss Gus Poyet is naturally delighted with his fourth signing of the summer.
He told seagulls.co.uk, "When I first sat down with the chairman, Craig was at the top of my list, our number one target, so I am absolutely delighted to have signed him.
"He is going to be a key player for us. He was the best player in League One last year, he scored the most goals, he scored in the play-off final, and he's got everything we need to help make our strikeforce one of the best.
"He is a striker who scores goals and you will never see a player who can match his workrate - it's unbelievable. He is so energetic and powerful in what he does that it will rub off on the rest of the squad
"He is a very clever player all around the box. He can hold the ball up, even though he is not the biggest, he always plays off the shoulder of the last defender, he is quicker than he looks and he can score with his right foot, left foot and his head.
"He is a player that we can build our team around, which is why I was so keen to bring him here, and one of the most pleasing aspects for me is that we have signed him despite interest from some other big, big teams.
"Some thought it was a done deal that he would be heading elsewhere, but we got the player which is good, as it shows that we want to go places, to do better. A signing like that can only help us as we try to bring more players in.
"To bring in a player of his standard is unbelievable, and the chairman Tony Bloom and members of the backroom staff have worked hard to make the deal happen, and it is a real team effort which has brought him here."
Formerly with Dagenham & Redbridge in the Conference, Mackail-Smith made his name at London Road where he was voted the League One Player of the Year last season, having scored 27 league goals.
His form was also rewarded with his first Scotland cap, picked up against Brazil at the Emirates Stadium in March, and he arrives on the south coast keen to build on an impressive tally of 80 league goals in 185 appearances.
The striker, 27, has opted for the Amex Stadium despite interest from a number of Championship and Premier League clubs, and Seagulls boss Gus Poyet is naturally delighted with his fourth signing of the summer.
He told seagulls.co.uk, "When I first sat down with the chairman, Craig was at the top of my list, our number one target, so I am absolutely delighted to have signed him.
"He is going to be a key player for us. He was the best player in League One last year, he scored the most goals, he scored in the play-off final, and he's got everything we need to help make our strikeforce one of the best.
"He is a striker who scores goals and you will never see a player who can match his workrate - it's unbelievable. He is so energetic and powerful in what he does that it will rub off on the rest of the squad
"He is a very clever player all around the box. He can hold the ball up, even though he is not the biggest, he always plays off the shoulder of the last defender, he is quicker than he looks and he can score with his right foot, left foot and his head.
"He is a player that we can build our team around, which is why I was so keen to bring him here, and one of the most pleasing aspects for me is that we have signed him despite interest from some other big, big teams.
"Some thought it was a done deal that he would be heading elsewhere, but we got the player which is good, as it shows that we want to go places, to do better. A signing like that can only help us as we try to bring more players in.
"To bring in a player of his standard is unbelievable, and the chairman Tony Bloom and members of the backroom staff have worked hard to make the deal happen, and it is a real team effort which has brought him here."
Formerly with Dagenham & Redbridge in the Conference, Mackail-Smith made his name at London Road where he was voted the League One Player of the Year last season, having scored 27 league goals.
His form was also rewarded with his first Scotland cap, picked up against Brazil at the Emirates Stadium in March, and he arrives on the south coast keen to build on an impressive tally of 80 league goals in 185 appearances.
to the new season.
