Peter Taylor has revealed how his Albion predecessor and a former club legend helped him decide on a rapid return to management with the Seagulls.

Albion's eighth boss in as many years spoke to Micky Adams about the job at the start of the week and before that to his good friend Dave Sexton.

The irony of Taylor's arrival on a three-year contract, just 17 days after he was sacked by Leicester, was not lost on the former England star when his appointment was confirmed at Withdean yesterday afternoon.

Adams quit the Seagulls for Leicester last week to become No. 2 to Taylor's Filbert Street successor Dave Bassett.

"I think we are trying to save some stamp duty with a swap on the houses!" joked Taylor. "I spoke to Micky and Dave Bassett on Monday and wished them well.

"I know Micky feels the same for me. He couldn't have recommended the club any higher. He said they are a great bunch of players, a great Board and a great bunch of supporters, so it made up my mind that I wanted to come here."

Taylor also consulted Sexton, who played for Albion in the late Fifties and has been involved on and off in the England set-up for the past 24 years.

"Dave always had a soft spot for Brighton," Taylor said. "When I knew I had a chance I just phoned him up."

Taylor was the top choice of chairman Dick Knight and his Board from a shortlist of four "high-calibre" candidates.

They faced fierce competition for his services from, amongst others, his old club Southend and Knight moved quickly to land his man.

Negotiations with Taylor and his agent Bill Jennings were completed on Tuesday night, while Albion were winning at Swansea in the LDV Vans Trophy under acting manager Bob Booker.

"I am absolutely delighted to be back at work," Taylor declared. "It's only been two weeks since I lost the Leicester job, but that's just another page as I see it. Now I am dedicated to continuing the good work Micky has done at Brighton.

"I'm looking forward to the job. I've always felt strongly about the support at Brighton. Four or five years ago, when they were really struggling, I went to watch their FA Cup game at Canvey Island.

"They were nearly out of business then and the support that day nearly knocked the Canvey Island stadium over, because there were so many of them there. I never forgot that.

"My second game in charge of Gillingham was down here in the Worthington Cup. I have reminded the chairman that we won 2-0, but it's not an easy place to get a result.

"I'm really looking forward to working with the players and I am really happy to be back."

Taylor, capped four times by England in a distinguished playing career as a top winger with Crystal Palace and Tottenham, knows all about the highs and lows of management at both the fag end and amongst the cigar set.

He had four successful seasons as player-boss of Dartford in the Southern League, then kept Dover in the Conference following a two-year stint at Southend when they were in the First Division.

Taylor's managerial career really took off five years ago, when former Spurs colleague Glenn Hoddle appointed him as England under 21 manager.

He was controversially ousted from that role by ex-Albion player Howard Wilkinson, then guided Gillingham to promotion from the Second Division via the play-offs in his first year with a dramatic victory at Wembley against Wigan.

Taylor joined Leicester in July 2000 when Martin O'Neill left for Celtic. He led the Foxes to the top of the Premiership, earning him the manager of the month award, before becoming England coach a year ago on a short-term, part-time basis in the wake of Kevin Keegan's resignation.

Things started to go wrong for him at Filbert Street after a shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat at home to Wycombe Wanderers.

Leicester's League form slumped as they finished in mid-table and, having given up his continuing England involvement under Eriksson during the close season, the end came at the end of last month with Leicester rooted to the bottom of the table.

"I've lost no belief in my ability," Taylor said. "I don't personally think I have got anything to prove, but it is a better job when you are winning rather than losing, so I want to get back into the habit of winning.

"That is what I had the last time in Division Two. That was a happy year at Gillingham and if we can do anything like that I think the chairman, the Board and supporters would be delighted.

"I've always known about the potential here and the support. If Withdean could hold another 5,000 people they would fill it. That to me is fantastic potential, so I just hope I can keep the good work going and make sure there is a good enough team here to get into Division One.

"I wasn't worried about what level I went to. A lot of really good friends were telling me to have a break and that something would come up in three or four months time, but I wanted to work straight away.

"I wanted to go to a club with fantastic potential and that's how I see Brighton. At the moment we are in a very good position in Division Two. We want to maintain that, if not improve it."

Taylor has no qualms about two of Knight's prerequisites for the job: a willingness to work with the existing playing and coaching staff and to encourage youth.

He fielded a fledgling line-up and handed David Beckham the captaincy when taking charge of England for the friendly against Italy in Turin just 11 months ago.

"There is no need to change anything," Taylor vowed. "I am going to give everybody a long time. I know the team is good enough, I want them to get to know me and I am not going to upset the great spirit this club has got.

"I am happy to give young players a chance if I think they are going to do a job. The most important thing at this moment is promotion and if that means we need experience then that's what we'll play, but if there is a youngster pushing for a place and I think he needs a game I will put him in without a doubt."

Taylor, married with two daugthers and currently based in Thorpe Bay, Essex, already has plans to relocate closer to the Brighton and Hove area.

Eight topsy-turvy years in Football League management have done nothing to dampen the snappy humour of a man renowned in his Palace days for his impression of veteran comic and former Albion director Norman Wisdom.

Asked why he had plumped for the Seagulls other than the fact that it is the nearest club to Europe, Taylor quipped: "I worked at Dover don't forget!"

He is not anticipating any hangover from Albion fans as an ex-player with arch-rivals Palace. "We used to have some fantastic ding-dongs, but my mind is totally focused on Brighton," he said. "I have not thought about Palace at all."

The other quality Knight was looking for was experience at Albion's current level and above, so the chairman believes this particular Taylor is perfectly suited to the task.

"I am delighted on behalf of the Board and I think the vast majority of fans that we have got Peter as our new manager," Knight said.

"Our loss was Leicester's gain last week, but now Leicester's loss is our gain."