Chelsea duo join the Albion

Danny Pappoe and George Cole have today joined Brighton and Hove Albion Under-21, having both agreed a one-year contract.

Both players - who were previously with Chelsea - have been with the Albion on trial throughout pre-season and appeared in the under-21s friendly matches, including the tour to La Manga in Spain.

Simon Ireland, the under-21 coach, said: "Trial periods are always high pressure for a player because you are on a limited timescale to show what you can do, but both Danny and George have slipped seamlessly into the group and that has paid dividends on and off the pitch.

"We don't just sign these players on what they do during their trial though, we have looked at both before they came here and we have also looked at what they can offer going forward, and we are very pleased to add them into our squad.

"Both have good experience having played at a club of Chelsea's stature and we feel they will help us be competitive and provide some stability during our first season as a category one side.

"With so many players taking the step up to the first team recently there has been a void in our under-21s that our under-18s have been filling, but we needed to bring in more faces at under-21 level so that we don't over exert our youngsters too early."

David Burke, head of football operations, said: "It is another positive sign for the club that young players that have been at some of the biggest clubs in England are seeking out Brighton as a place to go, because there is a realistic pathway for them to the first team."

Cole, 19, is an attacking midfielder who rose to prominence in Chelsea's under-18s before leaving at the end of last season.

Pappoe, 20, a central defender, has represented Ghana at under-20 level and has already made his professional league debut while briefly on loan at Colchester United last year.