Leon Knight may be regarded as the more fashionable of the pair, but in another sense his young strike partner is truly a trendsetter.

Chris McPhee has replenished old ground in working his way through the system to become a first team regular.

By establishing himself as Knight's sidekick, McPhee has reversed a relentless pattern of Albion youth team products who end up playing in non-League Sussex football.

All the hard work put in by Martin Hinshelwood and Dean Wilkins since they were charged by Brian Horton with the responsibility of mending the faltering production line is now bearing fruit.

McPhee said: "I think it's good for the club. Kerry Mayo was the last one and that was quite a while ago.

"All of a sudden it is not just me coming through. There are Adam El-Abd, Adam Hinshelwood and Jake Robinson as well, so it is definitely looking brighter for the future.

"There are also a few young players in the reserves doing well and everyone is pushing for places. It's a good time to be a young player at Brighton and Hove Albion."

McPhee, 20, a policeman's son from Eastbourne, gained ten GCSE's at William Parker School in Hastings, where Albion team-mates Paul Watson and Dean Hammond and Aston Villa's Gareth Barry were also pupils.

Knight, a self-confessed rebel at an inner city mixed comprehensive in Bethnal Green, grew up in the notorious London borough of Hackney.

He spends his money on cars, clothes and jewellery and admires Maradona. McPhee's idol is the clean-cut Michael Owen.

Contrasting characters off the pitch, Albion's front duo have developed a free-scoring chemistry on it.

Such a profitable alliance seemed unlikely at the start of the season, when Steve Coppell signed Darius Henderson on loan from Reading.

"During the close season I worked hard," McPhee said. "I went down the gym with my mates every couple of days and made sure I was ready.

"I felt fit and strong and when pre-season came along I scored a few goals and was happy to be in the manager's plans.

"The week before the start of the season he brought Darius in. Obviously I was disappointed but at the same time I was quite pleased to be in the squad.

"He told me I was doing well, so I was happy to be involved."

McPhee opened his account for Albion in the Worthington Cup at Bristol Rovers, when Reading prevented Henderson from playing.

In September he scored his first League goal for the club as a substitute against Sheffield Wednesday at Withdean. Once Henderson returned to Reading, McPhee never looked back.

He celebrated a new two and a half year contract with his ninth goal of the campaign against Wycombe on Boxing Day.

"Time has flown by," McPhee said. "I haven't really had a chance to sit back and realise what has happened to me apart from recently, when we didn't have a game.

"The last few weeks have just been reflecting how proud I am about what I have done and to keep working hard to make sure I am involved in and around the team.

"Martin Hinshelwood came and spoke to me about a new contract when Steve Coppell left.

"That sort of faded away as we got the new manager (Mark McGhee) and then the week before Christmas it all came out and I signed.

"It's brilliant. It shows the club has confidence in me."

McGhee has demonstrated his faith in his near namesake by giving him a sustained run in the side.

"I wasn't too sure which way to take his appointment at first," McPhee admitted.

"When he first arrived he changed our style of play a little bit, which took a while for us to settle down as a team.

"Being a striker himself, he was working particularly with the forwards, trying to create more shots and breed confidence. He stuck with me, which was a good sign.

"He's taken me to one side and tried to introduce different things into my game.

"He also sent me up to London a couple of weeks ago to speak to a dietician, who has given me different supplements and protein shakes to try and improve my health and fitness.

"Now I am definitely stronger, so not only has it been good for me but good for the team as well."

All McPhee wishes for as he looks forward to tackling the top two this month is for the first half of 2004 to be as kind to Albion as the second half of 2003 was to him.

"Anything can happen," he insists. "We are just going to make sure that every game we go out to win, that is our mentality.

"We have been unlucky in some matches, where we have played well enough without getting the result we wanted.

"If we beat QPR and Plymouth then we could be right back in it," he added.