Brighton academy manager John Morling has paid tribute to chairman Tony Bloom for supporting the club's youth system.
Brighton's development set-up has been praised after graduates Ben White and Robert Sanchez were called up for international duty for England and Spain respectively.
Morling told the club's website, “Without the investment that's been put into the academy, there is absolutely no chance that we would have had the success we've had in recent years.
“It's more than just a one-off investment, it's a long term commitment that the board have made. It takes time for players to develop. Ben White is seven years of work and he's just played his first year in the Premier League.
“People like Max Sanders, Warren O'Hora and George Cox are all success stories, they have a professional career in football away from Brighton. There's lots of ways to measure success."
He added: “Of course our staff keep close tabs on their progress, but we have to constantly move forward. We've got to make sure every age group is as strong as possible, so the Ben Whites and Robert Sanchezs of the future get the best opportunity to fulfil their potential. That's where we work as a team."
