Chris Hughton is heading back to the bright lights

Chris Hughton, the quiet man of football, appears to be more than happy working under the radar, but his achievement of taking Brighton & Hove Albion to the Premier League is about to awaken a wider audience to his coaching talents and must surely place him on the FAI’s list of potential future appointments.

Hughton won 53 caps for the Boys in Green, playing in Ireland’s first major tournament, Euro 88 in Germany, while he was also part of the squad for Italia 90.

He has shown this season that calm assuredness and thoughtful management can create an environment in which others succeed – and provide a different route to success in a world where everybody else is shouting.

When Hughton manages in the Premier League next season there will be no Jose Mourinho-style rants or mind games, no Antonio Conte touchline antics, no Pep Guardiola press conference tantrums; and yet he will deservedly pit his wits against all those characters.

Also, it would be no surprise to see him come out on top against many of them.

If you need a comparison, then perhaps Sean Dyche at Burnley is a valid one, because, though Hughton comes across as a more debonair and thoughtful character, there are plenty of similarities to Burnley’s success in Brighton’s model. Hughton also favours the kind of tight 4-4-2 formation which has been Burnley’s calling card this season, as they surprised everyone and look likely to stay, comfortably, in the Premier League.

A Hughton team is well organised, expansive when attacking, but tight when defending, always works hard and builds its success on the down-to-earth character of its players, together with a remarkable team spirit achieved through emotionally intelligent man management.

If you look at the Brighton squad, you’ll notice French winger Anthony Knockaeart is widely named as their best player — he won the Championship Player of the Year award — and yet largely the team is devoid of individual stars or prima donnas. Instead they work as a collective.

Of course, the squad will need strengthening for the Premier League, but that strength — together with an attacking verve when in possession — is Hughton’s stamp and reflects his humility and a decision to eschew bravado and hyperbole, even in pressurised interview situations.

“Our success is down to a very good work ethic from the team, and we just got on with our work, quietly,” he said, hinting that nothing much will change next season, despite the bigger stage.

Hughton’s players are quick to praise their manager. They appreciate his clear instructions, approachable management style, and tangible stability, though midfielder Dale Stephens says there is a greater depth to the man than the outside world gets to see.

“He does shout when things are going wrong,” he said. “It’s great that he can do that. He’s a calm character — I’m sure you know that — but when things are not going right he makes it known. He’s got the respect of every player and every member of staff. He has [that respect] ever since he walked through the door. He works hard and is clear about how we are going to play. We’re on the training pitch every week working on it and we don’t really change for anybody. We play the way we play and what he thinks suits us. He has got us playing the way he believes and that has reaped its rewards.”

Hughton is just part of the Brighton story, of course, the club’s modern history is a rags to riches tale – from playing home matches at Gillingham when they were without a ground to suddenly finding a local benefactor in the shape of professional sports gambler Tony Bloom, who has invested £350m (€417m) in the project, building a new 30,000-seater ground and a state-of-the-art training facility. Thecombination of a passionate owner and a thoughtful manager has become a powerful one.

“We believe this club is ready for the Premier League,” Hughton said. “The stadium was made for it. This is an incredibly well-run club, with a wonderful support base, [and] a great training facility that the players really appreciate, so it was a question of doing things I felt could get some results and then it’s down to a recruitment process. We did that really well in the summer, bringing in good, stable individuals to help the team, and they’ve all grown since then. This is their reward.”

It’s enlightening that Hughton mentions ‘good, stable individuals’ rather than focusing only on skill-levels; and this is at the core of Brighton’s success; they have good players, yes, but they also have good people, who reflect the values and ethos of the manager. It may be the characteristic which makes Brighton a popular team with neutrals next season.

Certainly, Hughton has earned the right to take on the top flight again. He began his coaching career as long ago as 1993, when he was coach and then assistant manager at Tottenham, and has steadily matured since then. He won theChampionship title at Newcastle, where he was highly popular with fans and brought some decorum and respect to a club that had lacked both for a long time, but he has also kept Norwich in the Premier League, taken Birmingham City into the play-offs and had a taste of international management as assistant to Brian Kerr, so he feels he has nothing to prove next year.

He said: “I’ve been fortunate. I spent 14 years as a coach before management and it was the best pathway for me. I benefited from the experience of working with players for such a long time and experience is very important as a manager. You do learn from your experience.

“I don’t feel I have anything to prove in the Premier League. I’ve managed there before and enjoyed my time there, so all I think about is doing the best job I can inthe job that I’m in. To win promotion here means a lot and it’s probably the biggest achievement of my career so far, given where the club has come from. The next target is to win the title and we are only a win away. We want to complete that job. Then we can think about what lies ahead and prepare for the Premier League.”