Maheta Molango revealed today how he knew Albion were the club for him during Sunday's promotion parade.

Seagulls' new striker, 22 tomorrow, got the birthday present he wanted when he passed a medical yesterday and started a three-year contract.

He was amazed by the positive reaction of singing supporters as Albion paraded their play-off trophy from a bus top on the seafront in the rain.

Molango, who has played for Atletico Madrid reserves, said: "I've never seen anything like the scenes at the parade by the sea. The way the supporters reacted to us on the bus was amazing. It really gave me a lift, made me feel I wanted to be here.

"We have very good people at the club, like Charlie Oatway who is a very good person who will help the younger players."

Molango is already impressing the Albion faithful after netting four goals in three friendlies.

He is determined to maintain that strike rate when the Seagulls kick off their Coca-Cola Championship season at Reading on August 7.

He said: "I am not going to set any targets. I will just try my best for this club and see at the end of the season how many I have scored."

Molango has already demonstrated that his partnership with last season's top scorer Leon Knight has potential.

Between them they scored all the goals in the 3-1 victory at non-league Weymouth on Wednesday night.

He said: "I enjoyed playing with Leon. We seemed to understand each other. He is bright and I believe we can carry on scoring together for the team."

Molango is an intelligent player and already has a sense of perspective as Albion prepare for their return to Division One following relegation two seasons ago.

The Congolese under-21 international, who was in the Bundesliga with Wacker Burghauseu, near Munich, said: "I've followed English football from Germany and have an idea of how my three year contract can work out.

"The first thing is to stay in the First Division. I want to make sure Brighton do that by trying to score enough goals for them. We have many good young players, a good manager with good ideas and if we all work hard together who knows what is possible?

"Maybe if the club get a new stadium, it'll be even more interesting for me.

"We have to take things step by step."

Molango believes Albion have nothing to fear despite having Leeds, Sunderland, Wolves, Leicester and West Ham on the fixture list.

He said: "It will be hard because there are many big teams in the division. But we do not have to be afraid of anybody.

"Some of these teams might see they are playing Brighton and think it might be an easy game because we have so many young players. But I think we can give those teams a good surprise."

Molango has been warned by manager Mark McGhee to adapt to the physical nature of the English game.

He said: "I expected it to be more physical than I was used to. Defenders have already given me an idea. But it will be no problem for me. I'm ready to fight. I can take the hard tackles and give some back too."

Molango was born in Switzerland of a Congolese father, Moly, and Italian mother Domenica, and has played in Spain, Germany and now England.

He believes his experience in Spanish football, playing and training with the likes of Dani, the former West Ham midfielder, will help him settle in.

He said: "Spain was a great experience, a very different culture to England. The football was fantastic. I could not but help to learn from being with such great players like Dani.

"There was also the sunshine and the fact it was a beautiful city, like Brighton.

"But I'm a football player. I have to look at my career first and not the sun. I will play in the rain and snow if I have to.

"Madrid was a big club which made it difficult for the younger players. They always get in the big players and don't show any interest in looking at the young players they have. That's why I left.

"I liked my time in Germany. It was quite near Switzerland and close to my parents and a small city. It was okay but I wanted to progress more."

Molango, who can speak French, German, Spanish, Italian and English has six under-21 caps for the Congo.

He is proud of the Congo's football tradition which has spawned players like Claude Makele and Lomano Lua Lua.

Molango said: "My roots are African but I have an Italian parent and can play for Italy. I can also represent Switzerland. It gives me other options because the war in the Congo makes it difficult to have a good football organisation."