Yasin Ayari says there are different ways to evaluate the success or otherwise of a season out on loan.

And he is confident he will have benefited from his time at Blackburn Rovers far more than it would appear from the stats.

The Swedish midfielder is back with the Seagulls and stating a strong case for continued Premier League involvement.

Competition will be tougher when players such as James Milner, Mats Wieffer and – eventually – Matt O’Riley return to the fray.

But Ayari has shown what he can offer and puts that down not just to 13 league appearances with Blackburn last term but also what went on around them on a daily basis.

He said: “Maybe it wasn’t the best loan spell if you talk about the performance on the pitch and everything but I think I’ve developed so much outside the pitch.

“My mentality and how it is to live outside Brighton, outside of my family and everything.

“Now when I came back I feel more prepared, I feel like a man.

“I feel like I’m ready now to take the next step.”

Ayari wasted little time making an impression, playing a big part in that whirlwind opening to the second half of the first public friendly, versus Kashima Antlers in Tokyo.

That was the night a swift attacking unit scored four quick goals to put the J-League outfit to the sword.

But the bar has been set high this season.

You can be a very bright prospect and still be sent out on loan for further development.

If you look at the group of players who ran riot in that half-hour or so in Tokyo – Amario Cozier-Duberry, Facundo Buonanotte, Jeremy Sarmiento, Valentin Barco, Odel Offiah, even Abdallah Sima to a degree – they have all since headed out to other clubs.

Ayari, who was at Coventry two seasons ago, was keen that would not happen in his case.

He said: “I always believe in myself.

“I always think that if I get the chance, if I get the opportunity, I will show that I’m a good player because I believe in myself.

“Now I’m getting the chances when people (the injured midfielders) are not here and I think I’m taking it.”

Head coach Fabian Huerzeler has spoken about Ayari’s unstinting efforts in every training session and he is not afraid to give younger players their chance.

Much has been made of Huerzeler being younger than some of his players.

But, for what it is worth, he is 11 years older than both his central midfielders – Ayari and Carlos Baleba – who played most of the Arsenal game.

He had no hesitation looking to Ayari early at the Emirates when James Milner went down.

Ayari said: “I always stay ready. Every training session I train like I’m going to start.

“Every time when I’m on the bench I try to see the opponent, how they play, the guy I’m playing against, how he’s moving.

“I prepare every time the day before, look at some videos and everything. I’m always prepared.

“I will do my thing, I will work as hard as possible.

“When I get my chances like today, I will try to show that I want to play and then we’ll see how far it goes.”

Ayari started in midfield for Sweden last night, playing the first 72 minutes of their 3-1 Nations League win over Azerbaijan in Baku.

He worked with Blackburn bosses Jon Dahl Tomasson and John Eustace last season but has also experienced the demands of former Albion head coach Roberto De Zerbi.

He has enjoyed training under Huerzeler's guidance this summer.

The former AIK youngster said: “He came in with more intensity.

“You know the German coaches, how they are with the pressing and counter-pressing and all this.

“I think when he came in with this, everyone picked it up quickly and I think you can see it on the pitch also.

“It’s a good thing he came in.”

Huerzeler spoke at the Emirates about Ayari’s willingness to make forward runs.

There was one of note in the first half which was not spotted by Kaoru Mitoma, who had possession out towards the left.

But the Swede knows he should probably have a goal by now.

He was denied by a tight offside call at Everton and then had an opening at the Emirates when his shot was repelled by David Raya’s leg.

It all happened very quickly and, with the benefit of hindsight and replays, it looked like he should have sent his shot towards the near post.

In reality, as the ball came back to him, it was really just a case of making clean contact and getting it goalwards.

Ayari said: “I should score. If I see him, that he’s on the left side, I’ll just put it on the right.

“But in those moments everything goes so quickly and I thought he was running to the first post, I thought I would put it on the second.

“I just need to get back to the training pitch and train a bit more.”