Kerry Mayo today revealed why he is having a ball after agreeing a new deal with Albion.
The vastly experienced left-back, who turns 31 in September, has taken a pay cut and secured another year with the Seagulls.
Versatile Gary Hart is also staying for another year on reduced terms as he prepares for his testimonial at home to Charlton Athletic tomorrow (3pm).
Both players were released by Dean Wilkins at the end of last season but were handed the chance to impress in pre-season when their old boss Micky Adams returned to the club.
Mayo reckons the club has been lifted by the change of leadership.
He said: “It’s great for Micky to offer me the chance to come back and I’m looking forward to playing for him again.
“Training is enjoyable again now. We can have a laugh and a joke as long as we work hard as well.
“I wasn’t enjoying it last year. It was very much done by the coaching manual. It was textbook, stop and start, and it became boring. Micky makes sessions fun. Training has been brilliant.”
He added: “I’ve taken a huge pay cut but it’s another year’s security and I don’t have to move out of the area.”
Adams knows both players well from his first stint as Seagulls manager but said: “There’s no sentiment involved.
“Kerry is an experienced full-back, he has kept in good shape and deserves another year.
“Same with Gary Hart. He looks fit, he has retained his enthusiasm for the game and he’s not exactly past it at 31.”
Adams, who will not be keeping any of the trialists who played at Stansted on Wednesday, admits his summer signing spree could now be over.
He said: “We’ve got a senior squad of about 20, which is where we wanted to be. There could be one more addition but if not we’ll go with what we’ve got.
The vastly experienced left-back, who turns 31 in September, has taken a pay cut and secured another year with the Seagulls.
Versatile Gary Hart is also staying for another year on reduced terms as he prepares for his testimonial at home to Charlton Athletic tomorrow (3pm).
Both players were released by Dean Wilkins at the end of last season but were handed the chance to impress in pre-season when their old boss Micky Adams returned to the club.
Mayo reckons the club has been lifted by the change of leadership.
He said: “It’s great for Micky to offer me the chance to come back and I’m looking forward to playing for him again.
“Training is enjoyable again now. We can have a laugh and a joke as long as we work hard as well.
“I wasn’t enjoying it last year. It was very much done by the coaching manual. It was textbook, stop and start, and it became boring. Micky makes sessions fun. Training has been brilliant.”
He added: “I’ve taken a huge pay cut but it’s another year’s security and I don’t have to move out of the area.”
Adams knows both players well from his first stint as Seagulls manager but said: “There’s no sentiment involved.
“Kerry is an experienced full-back, he has kept in good shape and deserves another year.
“Same with Gary Hart. He looks fit, he has retained his enthusiasm for the game and he’s not exactly past it at 31.”
Adams, who will not be keeping any of the trialists who played at Stansted on Wednesday, admits his summer signing spree could now be over.
He said: “We’ve got a senior squad of about 20, which is where we wanted to be. There could be one more addition but if not we’ll go with what we’ve got.
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