Albion fans have followed a host of nations in recent years as they keep track of their favourites on international duty.

Colombia and Australia in the World Cup, the Czech Republic at the Euros or even Cameroon being held 1-1 by tiny Comoros in an AFCON qualifier are all examples.

But the most eventful international career, and probably the hardest to follow from afar, was that of Adam El-Abd with Egypt.

Across 2012 and 2013, the Brighton-born defender played seven games for his father’s homeland.

He did so at a time of great unrest in the country and some of the measures put in place, such as lockdowns and empty stadia, are now familiar again in these Covid-hit days.

You could not always be sure who Egypt were playing against, where or at what time.

But it was a fantastic experience and one which puts him 19th in the club’s list of most capped players.

His progress in the Championship under the guidance of Gus Poyet caught the eye of Pharaohs boss Bob Bradley.

El-Abd said: “In the two years I was there, the country was in a bit of a mess because there was the uprising where the military stepped in.

“There were riots in the street, a curfew at 9pm.

“There were army trucks everywhere and check points.

“If you were out or travelling anywhere, you’d get stopped and asked where you were going.

“There were no crowds in the stadium, which was a bit of a shame.

“I’m told 90,000 Egyptians screaming for their national team is an amazing atmosphere but I never experienced it.

“But it was an interesting time there. Once, we were scheduled to play in Cairo but, because of a threat of some sort, at the last minute we were move to Alexandria.

“We had to travel a couple of hours on the bus, get there an hour before the game, change quickly and get out there and play.

“Bob Bradley had to deal with a lot of hurdles and he did a great job considering there was so much to contend with.”

Bradley, who later took charge of Swansea City, was an amenable and flexible boss.

He once gave The Argus an impromptu interview over a crackly mobile phone connection while holed up in a hotel somewhere or other before a game.

El-Abd recalled: “Training facilities were often sub-standard.

“There was a time when we couldn’t play any home games or have any camps in Egypt.

“Once we had a camp in Sudan, which is not the most stable of countries either.

“There were times when we were being escorted to training by four army trucks with military hanging out the side with their guns out.

“You came across things you never imagined the England team would.

“It was a completely different world.

“It was a difficult period for Egypt at that time. Many kick-off times were changed, opponents were changed if it was a friendly.

“We were supposed to be playing Senegal and that was changed to Uganda.”

The Egyptian domestic league had been cancelled after a stadium riot in Port Said so El-Abd found himself reporting for more than he bargained for when he turned up to his first camp in May, 2012.

He said: “Bob Bradley had been made aware of me but had not actually seen me.

“In May I went straight with the team to a month-long camp.

“There was a 40-man squad which was whittled down a couple of times.

“I managed to stay the duration so I must have done something right.

“But it was a tough period because Bob ran it like a pre-season.

“All of those boys hadn’t had a league so they were coming in fresh.

“I was coming off a serious injury and had had to work really hard the previous summer, then I had been playing since November.

“Then we were doing double sessions in the heat of Cairo.

“It wasn’t easy but I was super fit!”

Despite the inconvenience, El-Abd looks back on his international stint as a real eye-opener.

His room-mates included Mo Salah, for several weeks, and Mohamed Elneny.

In a previous interview, he told The Argus: “In camp in Cairo, I used to mark Mo every day in training.

“One time I got caught in a race against him. Needless to say I came off second best.

“I said to myself right there, ‘That’s not happening again’.

“If I had to mark him, I made sure I gave myself at least an arm’s length in terms of distance.

“I suppose Brighton could have signed Mo Salah had they got in before he went to Basel.

“The wages certainly wouldn’t have been a problem at that stage.

“He was very likeable, very popular amongst the boys.

“He was shy, mild-mannered. Then on the pitch he came alive."

It all contributed to a wealth of experience which he now aims to put to good use as he looks for opportunities in coaching.

PERCY TAU SCORES FOR SOUTH AFRICA AND THANKS ALBION

He admitted: “I couldn’t speak the language so I had a crash course in Arabic to get myself by on the pitch.

“It also taught me there is a big wide world out there in football.

“People are so blinkered by the Premier League and Champions League and the tier system in England.

“There are incredible players you have never even heard of playing abroad and they get by on a fraction of the facilities or the money we have.

“It makes you appreciate what you are given over here, even in the lower leagues.”