Brighton & Hove manager Roberto De Zerbi has promoted Odel Offiah, a former invitee of the 2019 Golden Eaglets, to the first-team training squad.
As the Seagulls began preparations for the upcoming season on July 3, Offiah was seen training alongside the senior players.
Offiah initially joined Brighton on a scholarship deal in 2017 and has progressed through the club’s ranks. He made his senior debut in August 2021 during a Carabao Cup match against Cardiff City and played his first game in the FA Cup five months later.
The 20-year-old central defender aspires to follow in the footsteps of academy graduate Evan Ferguson, who broke into the first team as a teenager last season.
During the previous season, Offiah received seven call-ups for Premier League matches and made appearances as a substitute in two games towards the end of the campaign.
His Premier League debut came in April against Nottingham Forest, and he also featured in a game against Newcastle United the following month.
Brighton has lined up a series of friendlies against Chelsea, Brentford, and Newcastle United in July as part of their preparations for the upcoming season.
Additionally, they will face Rayo Vallecano before their season opener against newly promoted Premier League side Luton Town. With Brighton’s qualification for the Europa League group stage by virtue of their sixth-place finish in the 2022-2023 Premier League, Offiah could potentially make his debut in European competition next season.
