Albion boss Steve Coppell has signed Simon Rodger for the rest of the season.

The former Crystal Palace midfielder teamed up with the Seagulls on a month's contract in October which was due to expire tomorrow.

We revealed on Saturday Coppell's plan to offer Rodger and Dean Blackwell longer contracts.

Shoreham-born Rodger has now pledged his future to the Seagulls for the rest of the campaign.

Rodger said: "It's nice to get something a bit more permanent to the end of the season, which suits me for now.

"The lads have been really good and I am enjoying it here. We can take a lot of positives from the last three games.

"Confidence is sky high and hopefully we can move on from here and get ourselves out of the bottom three."

Meanwhile, Coppell has given fringe players Steve Melton and Shaun Wilkinson temporary moves to other clubs.

Melton is rejoining Peter Taylor at Third Division Hull for a month, while Wilkinson will have a trial game at Chesterfield with a view to joining the Division Two side on a month's loan.

Melton scored in Albion's opening day victory at Burnley, but he went off injured shortly after and has not started a first team game for two months.

Wilkinson's last first team appearance, like Melton, was in the home defeat by fellow strugglers Stoke on September 17.

Coppell has not had the opportunity to see the fringe players in competitive action in his six weeks in charge, because of four successive Avon Insurance Combination League postponements.

"Coming up to Christmas I can only assume there will not be many reserve matches, so rather than stay here for no reason it's a good opportunity for Steve and Shaun to go elsewhere," Coppell said. "I am all for it to keep them match fit and match tight."

Two of Albion's Combination postponements have been at Woodside Road, Worthing, and Coppell wants the League to let the Seagulls play at their training base at the University of Sussex, Falmer.