Roberto De Zerbi given timely West Ham selection dilemma after Brighton summer signing comes good against Tottenham

After more than two decades in the game and hundreds of Premier League appearances, football fans would see now him as a full-back or a midfield option.

Everyone knows he is a consummate professional, who repeatedly topped the fitness tests at Liverpool; but since moving to Brighton in the summer, the 37-year-old has been somewhat underwhelming.

On several occasions, the veteran has, unsurprisingly, struggled at full-back when coming up against pacey wingers. Virtually all of his 17 appearances for the Seagulls have come in defence but on Thursday night against Tottenham, that changed.

The former England international looked like a completely different player in the 4-2 win. In his 69-minute outing, he hit the post, bagged an assist for Pervis Estupinan, put in some timely tackles and interceptions, and looked an attacking threat in an all-round display.

Going by this performance, and this is just one game so it may be too soon to draw any real conclusions, it seems head coach Roberto De Zerbi will get more out of him at midfield.

When asked if it was nice to be in midfield for a chance, he smiled and said: “Really nice, yeah, really nice. I’ll take that [the extra running] all day but I’ll play wherever the manager asks me to play but for sure I have obviously played the majority of my career in midfield, and I feel more comfortable there. It would be nice to stay there but whatever the manager asks me to do I will do.”

However, needs must and because of Brighton’s hefty injury list this season, Milner has had to play at full-back on repeated occasions. With Estupinan back fit and Jack Hinshelwood impressing at right-back, perhaps the summer signing can be given licence to roam in midfield next time out.

And after this stellar display, the former Manchester City man may have given De Zerbi something of a selection dilemma ahead of Tuesday’s trip to West Ham.