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Jakub Moder: Brighton’s Polish midfield ace hoping to derail England’s World Cup hopes

Though results have barely reflected it, Brighton and Hove Albion have played some of the most attractive football in the Premier League this season, typified by quality on the ball and relentless energy and pressing off it.

Several exciting youngsters have been blooded into the first team over the course of the campaign, with 21-year-old Jakub Moder the most recent of those.

Signed as a midfielder, Moder made his first Premier League start as a surprise inclusion against Newcastle on Saturday in a fluid left wing-back role. The Poles’ eye for goal was clear, getting into great positions and narrowly failing to beat Martin Dubravka with a first-half chance on the break.

The Seagulls signed Moder for a modest fee of £6 million back in October and immediately loaned him back to Lech Poznan. Fellow Pole Michal Karbownik joined at the same time and remains back in Poland having returned on loan also, to Legia Warsaw.

Moder’s progress had been noticed by more than just Brighton however. Impressive performances for Poznan in the Ekstraklasa and Europa League led to a full Poland debut the day after he signed for the Seagulls, and Moder has featured in all five of the White and Reds fixtures since, scoring against Ukraine.

It would be no surprise therefore to see Moder line up against England in Poland’s World Cup qualifier next week. The match is likely to be Poland’s hardest test of the campaign, with only the winners progressing from the group of England, Poland, Albania, Hungary, Andorra and San Marino.

With selection for Euro 2021 looking likely for Moder as well, it will be interesting to see how Graham Potter manages his minutes at Brighton. Never afraid to drop a youngster in at the deep end, Potter recalled Moder in January and has gradually integrated him into the first team.

It is a really exciting time to be a Brighton fan. Though Premier League survival is far from assured, the Seagulls have a vibrant, young attacking team of individuals who are making big names for themselves. While Jakub Moder’s big break at Brighton was helped by injuries to the likes of Dan Burn and Solly March, don’t bet against Jakub Moder pressing on and proving himself undroppable.

Sam Hanys

A miserable Ipswich Town fan.

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