Darren Tulett used to think it was progress when his work colleagues and contacts in Paris knew Albion were struggling a bit.

At least they knew about them, thanks to promotion to the Premier League.

Before that, they could lose to Crewe or Yeovil and no one in the wider football world would be any the wiser.

How things change. Albion are now the hipsters’ choice in France.

And that will only continue if they turn on the style against Marseille tonight.

Darren, who was brought up on the feats of Peter Ward, Alan Mullery and company as a young fan on the North Stand terrace at the Goldstone, later moved to Paris and is a well-known football presenter and commentator in France.

He was a guest of Marseille legend Jean Pierre-Papin when the Seagulls drew at Stade Velodrome.

Papin, whose goals powered OM to their golden era in the days of club president Bernard Tapie, has become friends with Darren through his work as a pundit.

As a high-profile Albion fan in France working for BeIn Sport, Darren can see how awareness has grown of the club across La Manche.

Darren said: “You can’t help thinking back to fans travelling around the country in the lower divisions and suddenly you are going to that huge, fantastic stadium in Marseille and that wall of sound.

“To watch it with Jean-Pierre Papin in the club president’s box was unreal.

“They had the pre-game lunch and Jean-Pierre said he was telling them about this English TV presenter in Paris who is always talking about Brighton!

“After what happened last season, the word started to get out over here and De Zerbi Ball was spoken about.

“Even when Brighton went up with Chris Hughton, I would talk about them and no one really knew about them.

“There was a bit of interest when Graham Potter got some good results and it was, “Okay, your Brighton boys are doing a bit better’.

“Now the hipsters have kind of got into Brighton in the way they used to with Sassuolo back in the day.

“They are attracting a lot more interest now and I’ve had a few calls from French media outlets asking what’s the secret.

“There’s much more interest and j was really hoping they could draw a French team so we could have these moments so it has worked into well.

“First or second in the group? The main thing is there are at least two more games to come.”

Marseille come into the game in form after four wins in a row in the Europa League and Ligue Un.

But Darren wonders how secure such an up-and-down club are in their purple patch.

He said: “It has been up and down. Their problem has been a lack of consistency and until recently a lack of goals.

“They have found it hard to score and then they found their scoring touch in recent games.

“The Ajax game was a crazy game which could have gone either way.

“We know (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang from England and he has found his scoring boots.

“When his name was read out before the Ajax game, the crowd booed.

“There was a lot of angst if you look at his goal celebration.

“He wasn’t jumping and down smiling.

“His face told you he had proved a point.

“Then they beat Rennes and thrashed Lyon.

“They dominated, particularly against Lyon who are very poor this season.

“Then another fireworks match against Lorient when they scored four goals before half-time.

“Suddenly confidence is back and the team seem to be riding high - at the worst time for Brighton!

“They have reeled off four wins in a row and suddenly everything seems to be working again.

“But I still think it’s a little bit of a delicate balancing act right now.

“It will only take one bad result to knock them back a little bit.

“When he came in he wasn’t playing with two strikers but, in recent weeks, he has put them both in and that has keen key to them scoring goals.

“That also means they have been conceding goals like the two they let in at Lorient and the three against Ajax.

“They are struggling to get the right balance at the moment.

“They played three at the back at Lorient so you think they are going to do the same at Brighton but you just can’t be sure.

“He seems to change his ideas from week to the next.

Aubameyang, with seven goals in four games, and Vitinha form that front pair.

But there are other threats, as they showed when racing into a 2-0 lead at home to the Seagulls.

Darren said: “I like the attacking midfielder Amine Harit.

“He’s the ball-player, he’s the skilful one.

“You’ll remember Azzedine Ounahi, who was brilliant at the World Cup for Morocco but has been very up and down and hasn’t really shone with Marseille since he moved.

“Harit is the one I really like, even though Jordan Veretout is super solid.

“Jonathan Clauss is the marauding right-back who will probably be at the Euros with France.

“He’s a great story. He was playing amateur football and was in Germany’s sixth division just a few years ago.”

Rags to riches. But then Albion know that script.