Jack Spong's post-match interview with The Argus was cut short by a group of enthusiastic young fans whose patience ran out.

“We’ve got Jack Spong,” they chorused as he went into an answer about what lessons he had retained from his Albion academy days.

Rather than rushing off to follow the England game which had just kicked off in Dublin, they had waited to see their favourites at Worthing.

You could hear the cheers from the under-stand bar but the kids were not overly interested in the fact Declan Rice had already put the Three Lions ahead.

They were hanging around outside hoping to see Worthing players such as Danny Cashman and Spong himself.

There is a nice buzz around Worthing, even after a 0-0 draw with Hornchurch.

“To be honest I had a little look, to see what else was out there,” Spong said when asked whether he considered moving on to further his career this summer.

Having returned from a stint in Scotland which followed his release by Albion, he had helped Rebels to the play-off final at home to Braintree.

His crisply-struck shot that day put them into a 2-1 lead and on promotion course but they eventually lost 4-3 after extra-time.

Ollie Pearce and Joe Felix were among those to leave in the aftermath and Spong had a look too.

But he said: “Nothing really came close to being here. I said to myself I am not going to make the jump for the sake of it.

“It has to be right for me. I enjoy it here. We were very unlucky with that game last year. Hopefully we go up this year.”

Spong remains ambitious to secure an EFL deal but said: “I think this is a very good place to show what I can do. We have got great players all over the pitch.

“The aim when I am here is to make sure we are up there to win the league or, if not, definitely be in the play-offs.”

Spong was a prominent player with Albion under-23s, making a senior appearance in a League Cup tie against Aston Villa, but was let go at the end of the 2022-23 season.

He started the following campaign with Queen's Park in the Scottish Championship but left in January after 21 appearances.

The Glasgow side had made a bright start but lost their way, leading to a change of head coach.

Spong said: “It changed very quickly up there. From when I went to when I left it was completely different.

“But I learned a lot and no regrets in football. I am happy I did it.

“It was a bit of everything. Personal, football, it all just came into one.

“Luckily it all happened in the January window.

“Knowing a couple of the boys here from growing up together, I sent them a message and said, ‘Would it be possible to just come down?’.

“Hinsh (Adam Hinshelwood) was in charge then and I’d had him as coach at Brighton.

“He told me to come down and it carried on from there.”

Spong has scored four goals already this season, three of them direct from free-kicks, but his short-passing and space-creating were required on Saturday against a Hornchurch side who sat in a low block and were hard to play through.

Without bombarding the goal, Worthing created enough to have won.

Spong’s clever movement created a chance for himself and he later put Sam Packham in on goal – but keeper Mason Terry denied them both.

There will be further such tests for Worthing and Spong said: “We know it will be tough. Teams will come here and sit in behind the ball.

“Something we have got to be better at is breaking them down and creating chances. But on another day I think I take that chance, I think Packham probably takes his as well and their keeper pulled off a worldy from (Tommy) Willard.

“Then it could be 2-0, 3-0 and we are happy - but we go again.”

By now, the cheers from the bar were for Jack Grealish’s goal in Dublin.

It is five years since Spong and Grealish went on as sub within a few minutes of each other as Graham Potter threw in the youngsters for the League Cup.

Grealish’s goal helped Villa towards a 3-1 win that night against the young Seagulls for whom Haydon Roberts (now of Bristol City) was memorably on target in front of the North Stand.

The team that night included Archie Davies (now Carlisle), Alex Cochrane (now Birmingham), Peter Gwargis (now on loan from Degerfors to Orebro, in Sweden), Tudor Baluta (now Slask Wroclaw) and Aaron Connolly (free agent).

Spong, who went on for Teddy Jenks (now Forest Green), said: “We all stay in contact. I have been there for so long and you become proper good friends. They are all doing really well.”

So the final question as the youngsters, having swarmed around Cashman in pursuit of his autograph and waited patiently for Spong, break into song.

What lessons does he retain from his days as a young Seagull?

“It’s hard to say a couple of things.

“When you’re at the Brighton academy you are learning every day.

“It’s hard to put it into words.”