The last player to score for Albion against Manchester United appreciates the irony.

The highlight of Matthew Edwards' career has always been overshadowed, because it coincided with the debut of David Beckham.

The first glimpse of the player destined to become an iconic figure for United and England came at The Goldstone as a substitute in a League Cup tie in 1992.

Far fewer people remember that it was Edwards who scored Albion's second half equaliser He does. "It's as clear as it was on the day that it happened," he told The Argus.

"Friends talk about it all the time. I've got the highlights from the game that when I feel like watching I watch time and time again.

"It's something that will live with me and stay with me for the rest of my life, that's for sure, because it was Man United.

"As everyone points out, it was David Beckham's debut, so it had a number of different factors to it.

"It's funny when I watch the clip now and again. You hear the fans singing 'Who the f...... hell are you as he comes on'. You have got to chuckle about what that went on to mean over the next 20 years."

It did not get better than that for Edwards. Albion went out 2-1 on aggregate, Mark Hughes netting United's winner in the second leg at Old Trafford.

The winger, after eight goals in 78 games, was deemed surplus to requirements and drifted into non-League football before injury prompted him to retire in his mid-twenties.

"Barry (Lloyd) and Martin Hinshelwood moved on and Liam Brady came in," Edwards said.

"For some reason he just didn't take to me. I played a handful of games for him and then found myself being thrown out of the club a couple of months later.

"I ended up playing at Kettering and in my first game for them did my cruciate ligament and never really came back from that.

"I did the non-League circuit for a while. I had a couple of seasons at Enfield Town and other non-League sides. The knee just kept going, so after about the fifth or sixth operation it was a case of you are going to end up in a wheelchair or pack in.

"You get to a point where it just isn't worth it."

The Argus: Edwards, 46, (above) has forged a new career away from the game, although he has crossed paths with Albion again.

"I am in the software industry now, doing visitor attractions," he said. "Prior to that I was doing ticketing solutions for football clubs and Brighton were actually one of our clients for a while.

"They had just moved into the Amex. It's night and day compared to when I was at the club.

"I went to see a game at the Amex a couple of years ago. It's amazing the season they've had. I can't believe that they are not going to stay up."

For Albion to get over the line this evening, somebody needs to emulate what Edwards managed to do 26 years ago.