Inigo Calderon had an infectious enthusiasm when he operated at right-back for Albion.

So it tells you a lot when he says he enjoys coaching even more than he enjoyed playing.

The popular Basque battler is back with the Seagulls as under-18s head coach.

He has worked with young players at Alaves in his home city of Vitoria.

But he has always maintained links to the club where he made his name in this country during their progress from the lower reaches of League One to the brink of promotion to the Premier League.

He is now down to work at Lancing and relishing the long hours rather than being told to put his feet up for most of the day.

The 41-year-old said: “I love it. It’s complicated to understand, but I think I prefer to coach more than play.

“I don’t think that too many people are saying that because they enjoy too much playing.

“I enjoyed playing but I was a defender and it was more about not making a mistake than you really enjoy playing football.

“As a coach I feel it is 24/7 and when you’re a player it’s just training and after you have to rest.

“When you’re a coach, you have to So many things going on.

“It’s 11 players in your head, plus the ones who are not playing, plus someone from the staff that has an issue or whatever.

“So it’s all the time thinking about football and I love it.

“I get up so excited now. At six o’clock in the morning, I’m already awake. As a footballer, you cannot do that.

“You have to just rest and train and maybe you can play or not. That is up to the gaffer.”

Calderon was always a popular figure among players and fans.

Man-management is a big part of his current role.

He said: “It’s not just about tactics but it is a lot as well about how you manage the dressing room.

“Football is a team sport but coaching is even bigger because you have all the players.

“Everybody wants to play. Everybody has his own problems, or not problems but you have to deal with them.

“And after that, when you have your staff, it’s trying to manage all this stuff and to create a good atmosphere.

“I love this thing because at the end, the personal aspect, you know, and the social part of this is what I love.

“It’s trying to get the best of everyone, including myself, obviously.

“Otherwise it would be too easy because you read a book and you know tactics and you know what to do.

“Even to be trying to be a leader, you have a book.

“But it’s not (in) a book. You have to be yourself most of the time.

“It’s not theory. Obviously you have some tips but after this, it’s about how you feel.”

Calderon worked with under-23s and 18s at Alaves so knows about looking after young players.

He said: “It’s a tricky time because at Alaves it was the first time they are away from home.

“Sometimes, it’s more about that.

“How do you manage the situation because they think they are already footballers and they are not.”

Calderon joined Albion when they were in relegation danger in League One and left just after the play-off heartbreak in 2016.

He was back at the Amex as a spectator to see the win over Wigan which ensured promotion a year later.

And he was also there the day European football was secured with a 3-1 win over Southampton.

He told The Argus: “I always say that I wanted to come back and I always say that I didn’t know exactly the moment but I think I chose the right moment to come.

“I think I am more ready than four years ago when I started coaching.

“I think it was important for me to take a few years of experience in my city, with my family.a bit more ready to go abroad and I can obviously come to a place that I know.

“I think the moment now in the club is the best moment to arrive here because obviously everything is going so good and I wanted to be part again of the club.”

Did he see these heights coming for the club as he left seven years ago?

“Probably not that quick, but the progress was coming.

“When I left here, we were still in the Championship but I was 100% sure that we would win promotion quickly.

“You see how is the club behaving in the bad moments.

“For example, we don’t get through the play-off and you still see that the people are calm and they know that ,100% sure, the progress is in the good way, you feel sooner or later it’s going to come.

“It’s just a matter of not getting crazy – and here no one gets crazy.

“They just do what they think they have to do and that’s the result.

“Probably I didn’t think it would be that quick to be in Europe but you never know how long it’s going to take.

“Sometimes it takes a bit longer like it took us, for example, in the Championship.

“It was longer than expected because we were a few years probably deserving to be in the Prem. It took longer. Now it’s the opposite.”

Calderon scouted for Albion while playing in Cyprus and India, watching games online as he put his feet up after training.

He said: “It wasn’t coaching but it was another view.

“I’ve been in contact with the club all the time and I feel part of here, even without being here.

“As a player, I wanted to play in England. I decided to come to Brighton, I didn’t know anything about Brighton.

“As a coach as well I want to try different things.

“England I think is the place for football and obviously Brighton is the best place for me to stay.”