Lamptey explains Chelsea exit decision and why he ended up at Brighton

BetOdds Chelsea Tariq Lamptey Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion

The highly-rated 20-year-old full-back is thriving at Amex Stadium, following the decision to walk away from Stamford Bridge

Tariq Lamptey has explained why he took the decision to leave Chelsea after graduating through their academy system.

The 20-year-old defender did see competitive minutes during his time at Stamford Bridge, making his debut in a London derby clash with Arsenal plus a further two outings during the 2019-20 campaign.

He was, however, to leave on the final day of the January transfer window and take on a new challenge at Brighton. That call was made with his contract at Chelsea running down and with no fresh terms about to be signed.

Lamptey has gone on to thrive at the Amex Stadium, with his obvious potential now benefiting Brighton.

He could have been pushing for recognition at a different Premier League club, but remains convinced that walking away from west London was the best decision for his promising career.

Explaining his move, Lamptey told 90min: “I'm an ambitious boy. I look at things and enjoy them in the moment, but the next day I'm looking to see what I need to improve on and how I can stay at that level. I'm always looking for a chance to play again, and that moment made me even more hungry. I'd had a taste of it and I wasn't going to let it go.

“I sat down with the coaches, family members and agents and thought about what's best for me. It was a really tough decision.

“Being at a club since the age of nine, going up through the whole system and making your first-team debut, everything happened so quickly, but I had to look at where I would get the most football and how I could take my game to the next level.

“It wasn't an easy decision. I thought about it every day. But the opportunity came for me to come to Brighton, which is a fantastic club with a really good plan for the team, and the move made a lot of sense.

“There was quite a few options to go to, but I sat down with my family and talked about where would be best for me, where could help me develop, and I thought Brighton would be the best club for me.”

Lamptey’s stock has soared since he linked up with the Seagulls, with it now being suggested that his efforts are drawing admiring glances from leading sides across Europe. Bayern Munich are reported to be among his many suitors.

2020-11-12 18:00:03

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