Albion U21 head coach Shannon Ruth admitted to feeling a great sense of pride after seeing several of his youngsters included in the first-team squad in the USA.

Roberto De Zerbi's men began their Summer Series with a 4-3 defeat against Chelsea in Philadelphia at the weekend and are set to take on Brentford in Atlanta on Wednesday (10.30pm).

And Ruth told the club website: "We are extremely proud of the progress that the squad made towards the end of last season.

"There was a significant amount of transition which saw under-21 players spending more time with the first team or enjoying valuable loan experiences. This in turn saw many under-18 scholars step up into the under-21s.

"This young team’s performances exceeded expectations and achieved some outstanding results during a difficult run in, but most importantly playing in the style and philosophy of a Brighton & Hove Albion team.

"We are also extremely proud of the individuals that achieved first-team debuts in both the Premier League and Cup competitions. These are special moments and rewards for their families and the staff, past and present, who have worked with them on their journeys.

"The pathway for our Academy players is something that we feel really sets us apart from other clubs and the opportunity for young players is very clear.

"This is something that we are passionate about and committed to continuing. We want to be renowned for developing top talent year in, year out and the fact that we have several academy graduates in America highlights that."

The rest of the club's academy youngsters have been working at a training camp in Spain ahead of the new Premier League 2 season.

And Ruth has been pleased with progress over the past month, adding: "Preparations have been going well, we are currently nearing the end of week four and the players are really getting back up to speed and the team is coming together well.

"Our playing style is very unique so it’s been good to re-familiarise the players with the philosophy and see them re-connect with their team mates after a positive summer back with their families.

"Some players represented their countries, which we are extremely proud of, and they have returned following some time off.

"Our two friendlies so far have seen us compete with senior opposition which helps young players bridge the gap between academy and men’s football. It is important to be mindful that everyone is at a different stages in their physical condition."

Albion drew 0-0 with an experienced Real Betis B outfit, while working on their playing style, environment and culture during training sessions, despite intense heat.

And Ruth is hoping it all pays off when the new Premier League 2 campaign gets underway, with no relegation as the two-division system is place and six fewer games on the schedule.

"It’s been a really good week. We have been able to get a lot of work into the players," he said.

"We've come to a wonderful facility and being together has allowed the players to bond, get to know each other and also understand the demands of being a young professional at Brighton and Hove Albion.

"We are keen to see what it’s going to look like but what we do know is that it will challenge our players in a positive way.

"The games are a vital part of a player’s development, and we always do our best to enter as many competitions as we can to give them varied experiences in match situations.

"This approach mirrors the number of fixtures they will have to compete in on the next step of their journey either on loan or in our first team. It also gives us the flexibility to be very deliberate with the development of our under-18 and under-21 players."