Lorenzo Pinamonte suggests he was probably too young to make the most of his short time with Albion.

But, as he prepares to watch his national team kick off their Euro 2016 campaign tonight, the Seagulls’ first Italian player can reflect things did not turn out too badly.

Pinamonte, now 38, was brought in on loan from Bristol City and scored two goals, both against Exeter, in eight starts plus one game off the bench under Micky Adams midway through the 1999-2000 campaign.

He now runs a hotel on the stunning Lake Garda, plays amateur football – and is looking forward to playing up front with the legendary Luca Toni for Verona.

But he is not optimistic about the Azzurri’s chances in France, as they get under way against Belgium in Lyon.

He told The Argus: “I don’t think we will do well. We have a problem in the middle of the team. We don’t have too much power and skill.

“We will miss Andrea Pirlo. We don’t have a player like him. I don’t think Antonio Conte made a good decision with some of his selections.

“Leonardo Pavoletti scored 14 goals for Genoa but hasn’t gone. Eder went from Sampdoria to Inter and scored one goal in six months but he has gone to the European Championship.”

Pinamonte will be remembered by Albion fans from the early Withdean days and he still has contacts from the short spell he had in these parts before moving on to Brentford and Leyton Orient.

Angelo Cavalli, the long-time owner of Topolino Duo restaurant in Hove, visited the hotel recently.

The Argus:

Pinamonte enjoying life on Lake Garda

Pinamonte added: “They are very good friends of mine. In the future I would like to come to Brighton and see the stadium.

“When I was there the city was great, the fans were great but the stadium was missing. I follow Brighton. We have the Championship here on Sky.

“I’ve still got articles from back then in a scrapbook. I was a pro until I was 31. I played eight years in the Italian third division and I enjoyed that.

“I enjoyed England too but it probably came too early for me.

“I was there alone and I was very young – 20 years old.

“Maybe if I had gone when I was 25 or 26 it would have been different for me.”

Still, life didn’t work out too badly!

He added in his perfect English: “I’m here on Lake Garda and work – and I play amateur football. I also play for the Hellas Verona veterans’ team in fund-raising matches.

“Probably next season we will have Luca Toni playing for us. He quit football but he still works for Hellas Verona.”