Former Brighton and Hove Albion academy graduate Joel Lynch has opened up on his time with the club as a youngster before he got his permanent move to Nottingham Forest in July 2009, during an exclusive interview with Football League World. 

Eastbourne born, Lynch joined up with the club's academy system as a youngster before progressing through the age groups until he signed his first professional contract in 2006.

The central defender's impressive performances for the Seagulls there after failed to go unnoticed, with clubs such as Forest, Portsmouth and several other Premier League and Championship clubs developing an interest in his services prior to his departure to the City Ground initially on loan.

FLW journalist Chris Thorpe recently caught up with the now 33-year-old free agent, with Lynch being only too keen to recall where it all started for him as a player, whilst also touching upon what it was like to attract so much hype at such a young age.

“It was massive for me as I’m a local boy, I came all through the youth system there and to get into the first team was obviously brilliant.

“I loved it there and then there was a bit of interest in me once I came through to the first team, you know I had a lot of whispers and voices around me telling me to go here and there etc and I think at the time I was sort of influenced to move on.

“And in the end, I ended up going to Forest, which is something I would never have changed as it’s such a big club, with such a rich history and at the time it was massive for me.

“I just didn’t really know what was going on at that age, you don’t really understand it, you know nowadays I sort of say to young players that you have to look around and appreciate where you are right now in football.”