Brighton director Mike Cave details youth recruitment approach

Brighton sporting director Mike Cave has outlined the club's recruitment approach in an interview with BBC Sport, explaining that statistical analysis is only part of the process. Assessing a player's personality, background and suitability for life at the club also shapes decisions about which young footballers Brighton pursue in the transfer market.

Cave said analytics help Brighton identify talent internationally and act quickly, but the club does not reduce recruitment to one decisive measurement. He also described loans and the under-21 programme as routes towards senior football, with the choice of destination tailored to a player's development needs rather than treated as a standard solution.

Helping players and their families settle in Brighton is another priority, Cave told the BBC. He said recruitment is aimed at developing footballers for the club, rather than beginning with a resale plan. When players do move on, the proceeds can be reinvested in the squad.

Cave's comments follow his permanent appointment as sporting director on July 6. Brighton's announcement confirmed that he reports to chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber and is based at the club's American Express Elite Football Performance Centre. He had previously served as assistant technical director and technical director, with responsibilities expanding during his time at the club.

His background includes both football development and the commercial side of sport. According to Brighton's appointment announcement, Cave studied Sports Science and Sports Management at Loughborough University before working in consulting and media sales at IMG. He moved to Fulham in 2014 as academy performance manager, later becoming academy director in August 2021. Brighton recruited him as assistant technical director in November 2022.

One recent example of a young player making a first-team impact came in Brighton's August 30 match at Chelsea. The club's match report confirmed that Malick Yalcouye scored on his first Premier League start, volleying home before half-time. Brighton lost 4-3, with Pascal Gross scoring their other two goals as the visitors responded after falling three goals behind.