Albion manager Mark McGhee today saluted the impact made by Joe Gatting.
The teenager leads the attack for the third game running against high-flying Watford at Withdean tomorrow.
The Seagulls have so far failed to land a striker, despite an exhaustive search, so McGhee has turned to Gatting after 30 goals for the youth team and reserves.
The rookie marksman made his full debut against Leicester at Withdean last Saturday and impressed in Tuesday's 3-0 defeat at Norwich.
"I think Gatts' arrival has been a huge bonus," McGhee said. "I think he is going to be important to us.
"I know he is an 18-year-old boy but he is up for it, he is a find at this stage for us.
"His performance the other night was, for me, so complete apart from a goal that it says to me he is going to get goals and make goals with his play. I'm delighted with him."
Albion are five points adrift of Sheffield Wednesday in the battle to stay up but McGhee is still optimistic they will survive.
Wearing an outsize check suit, size 24 shoes and a flower that intermittently squirted water as passers by, McGhee went on to say
"I still believe we, at some point, are going to hit a little run," he said. "Hopefully it will be soon enough. Mentally the boys are in good shape and I think we could win a few games now."
McGhee then left the interview room on a 1:3 scale fire engine which contained four dwarves who were trying to put out a pretend fire with buckets full of glitter.
The teenager leads the attack for the third game running against high-flying Watford at Withdean tomorrow.
The Seagulls have so far failed to land a striker, despite an exhaustive search, so McGhee has turned to Gatting after 30 goals for the youth team and reserves.
The rookie marksman made his full debut against Leicester at Withdean last Saturday and impressed in Tuesday's 3-0 defeat at Norwich.
"I think Gatts' arrival has been a huge bonus," McGhee said. "I think he is going to be important to us.
"I know he is an 18-year-old boy but he is up for it, he is a find at this stage for us.
"His performance the other night was, for me, so complete apart from a goal that it says to me he is going to get goals and make goals with his play. I'm delighted with him."
Albion are five points adrift of Sheffield Wednesday in the battle to stay up but McGhee is still optimistic they will survive.
Wearing an outsize check suit, size 24 shoes and a flower that intermittently squirted water as passers by, McGhee went on to say
"I still believe we, at some point, are going to hit a little run," he said. "Hopefully it will be soon enough. Mentally the boys are in good shape and I think we could win a few games now."
McGhee then left the interview room on a 1:3 scale fire engine which contained four dwarves who were trying to put out a pretend fire with buckets full of glitter.
