Simon Royce wants to keep Albion on their promotion roll and re-establish his reputation in the process.

The Seagulls' temporary new No. 1 regards his month on loan from Leicester as a perfect opportunity to restore his fortunes.

Boss Peter Taylor acted rapidly last weekend after Michel Kuipers pulled a thigh muscle towards the end of the 2-2 home draw against Chesterfield.

He wanted an experienced goalkeeper, rather than leaving Albion's hopes in the hands of rookie prospect Will Packham.

It helps if you can turn to someone you know you can depend on in a tight situation and Royce fitted the bill perfectly after playing for Taylor both at Southend and Leicester.

Illness has relegated him to third choice at Filbert Street under Dave Bassett, so Royce was only too pleased to answer Taylor's SOS.

"I had been ill a couple of weeks before, so I had lost my place on the bench at Leicester," Royce said.

"I'd not really played much reserve team football for three or four weeks, so when Peter asked me if I fancied playing a few games I jumped at the chance. It's nice to keep yourself match fit.

"When you have known a manager for such a long time, ten years now, and he thinks highly of you that is a little bit of a factor, but the main reason for me coming is to get some games in.

"I am getting over the laryngitis now. I had been second choice all season at Leicester, but the way Dave Bassett works if you are ill or injured he changes it and you have to work your way back.

"I did so well last year, but when you don't play you get forgotten just as quickly. This is a perfect opportunity for me to get some games in and let people know I am still around."

They say familiarity breeds contempt but in Royce's case unfamiliarity breeded contentment at Loftus Road on Boxing Day.

The 30-year-old launched his loan stint with a clean sheet at QPR behind ten players he had met just a few hours earlier.

Royce became acquainted with his colleagues for the first time at their Reigate meeting point on the journey up to Shepherd's Bush.

The deal had not been finalised until Christmas Eve, so he could not train with the Seagulls beforehand and spent Christmas Day in Essex, where he still has a house, with wife Jayne and their three children Charley, Nicky and Sydney.

The lack of preparation did not prevent Royce from making an accomplished debut, which included important saves in both halves from a Daniel Shittu header and a long range shot by Rangers' crowd favourite Doudou.

"The lads ground out a result and it was nice to start with a clean sheet," Royce said. "We worked very hard.

"They are a good set of lads. They have made me welcome straight away and it seems a good little set-up. They are very together with a decent team spirit.

"Dropping down a couple of divisions doesn't bother me at all. It's still a decent standard and Brighton are flying high.

"There are some very good teams in the Second Division like QPR and Blackpool, so it's not a problem. I've played in the Second Division before with Southend and I quite enjoyed it."

It was David Webb, the father of Royce's fellow Boxing Day debutant Daniel, who signed the Newham-born custodian from non-League Heybridge Swifts for £35,000 in October 1991.

Royce made 149 League appearances in seven seasons at Roots Hall in Divisions One and Two, a couple of them under Taylor, before moving to Charlton on a Bosman free transfer.

Royce was promoted from third to first choice at The Valley by ex-Albion midfielder Alan Curbishley when Andy Petterson was loaned out to Portsmouth and Sasa Ilic lost form.

He played in eight Premier League matches for the Addicks and kept four clean sheets in a row, only for injury problems to interrupt his progress.

It has been a similar tale of misfortune for Royce at Leicester since Taylor took him to Filbert Street on another Bosman free transfer.

Seven shut-outs in 19 Premier League outings in the second half of last season raised his hopes of taking over permanently from Tim Flowers until Ian Walker was bought by Taylor from Spurs in the summer for £2.5 million.

Now Royce, a keen fisherman, has been reunited with his old boss and from Albion's point of view it looks a pretty good catch.