Pascal Gross has revealed he wants to guide young forward Brajan Gruda to greater consistency after returning to Brighton and Hove Albion.
Even while playing in Germany, Gross kept Brighton firmly in view, watching matches closely.
The 34-year-old believes Gruda: talented, fearless and still learning, needs more consistency if he is to truly explode.
The forward joined from Mainz in August 2024 and has featured 42 times, scoring three goals, including that memorable strike against Manchester City at the Amex.
“I already said to him I’ll try to help him as much as I can,” Gross said. “I tried to help [Stuttgart and Germany striker] Deniz Undav when he was here.
“I helped him obviously at the beginning because it’s not easy to go abroad. Maybe sometimes it’s a bit of misunderstanding, a bit of communication.”
Just like a player learning the rhythm of a match, growth takes time. Undav arrived at 25; Gruda is still only 21. For Gross, that matters.
He spoke about the attacker’s promise with calm conviction, like a senior pro directing traffic on the pitch.
Undav was 25 when he arrived in Sussex from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, while Gruda is still only 21, and Gross spoke of him having “a lot of potential”.
“I’ll just try to make him feel comfortable, to feel himself, so that he has confidence.
“I’ll try to support him – but also demand things, because young players, if they want to reach a certain level, need to push every day.
“They need to understand it’s not one action or two actions. It’s consistency and that’s a big quality, maybe the biggest.
“If we can get that in with the young boys, I think they can show their potential.”
For the Seagulls, Gross returning feels like bringing experience back into midfield, a leader who knows the system, the tempo, and the standards.
And as the season pushes forward, his influence on Gruda may prove just as valuable as any assist or goal.
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