Danny Welbeck did not envisage being in Brighton for this long.

He recognises that with a laugh as he chats at the Flour Pot Bakery, just off Fiveways, supporting club sponsors American Express at this year’s launch of their Shop Small campaign.

Funny how things work out.

He is now one of the symbols of the club and its progress in the post-Covid era.

His background at Manchester United and Arsenal and as a (shall we say former?) England international also makes him one of the club’s most recognisable faces to their growing global audience, as we saw this summer in Japan.

But the current top scorer says there is still a lot more ground to cover as he enjoys his most prolific start to a season in blue and white.

Times were so different when he arrived on a one-year contract back in October 2020.

News of his deal was confirmed as his future colleagues arrived at deserted Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.

Stadia were empty, Albion had never finished higher than 13th and any mention of Europe would have been laughed at.

Alexis Mac Allister saved a point that afternoon with his first Premier League goal.

But Welbeck, like Adam Lallana, had scaled the heights and knew what could be done.

These days he is not only targeting Europe with the Seagulls.

DANNY WELBECK EYES EUROPEAN RETURN

He is targeting Europe for a second time – learning from the first.

Now under contract until 2026, did he see this all happening four years ago?

He replied: “Obviously in football, you never know what happens.

“I’ve been through difficult moments in my career and I felt as if Brighton was the right fit to come here - and it’s proved right.

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“It’s been really good and I was really pleased to have signed a two-year deal at the end of last season and I feel like there’s a lot more to give and there’s a lot of progression within the club and within their dressing room to to be better.

“It did exceed my expectations. Also, you know I’m really competitive and we had a really good dressing room and everybody in there is really hungry to improve and wanting to get better.

“And I think with the players that we’ve had, some of the players who have left, they really pushed us.

“Every single season got better and better and better.

“Last season was disappointing, but it was really tough because it was in Europe and we had a lot of injuries which was really difficult to handle.

“But it was a learning curve.

“We’ve been there and know what it would be like if we were to get there again.”

Welbeck plays down suggestions Erik ten Hag wanted to take him back to what many will still see as his football home at Manchester United.

Even the report that the former boss asked to sign him in the summer mentioned the fact he is happy where he is.

He said: “It’s speculation. There always that link for me because I have been at Man United, came through there, so it always easy to put that link together.

“But I just focus on what I can control. All the other stuff is pretty irrelevant.”

He speaks similarly about suggestions he could feature for England when Thomas Tuchel takes charge.

“All I’m thinking about is Brighton and doing the best I can to help get as high as the table as possible.

“I want to have an impact on the pitch. The rest sorts itself out.”

Sorting itself out includes his part in the ambitions at Albion this season.

He enjoys the emotional ups and downs and says they usually correspond to whether they have won or lost.

“It’s like when you win, obviously, emotions are really high, but we’ve had some lows where it’s not necessarily been a loss, but it’s one where we feel like we’re really disappointed where we should have won this game.

“And we’ve had a couple of them this season which hasn’t been easy to deal with.

“It’s been very frustrating, but it also puts into perspective where we are on a journey here.

“It’s not the finished article. We’ve got a lot of young players and you know we have to go through a lot of experiences.

“Things are not always going to go so well for you, but it’s how we learn from that, how we how we become better after those experiences.

“So it’s part and parcel of football. But yes, it’s an emotional roller coaster.”

Like at Anfield recently. Asked what he said as skipper at half-time, he replied: “It’s only 1-0 and you know we’ve had a really good performance in the first half but it could show for nothing, as it did.

“We started the game very well. We got ourselves into a good position and I think we had to carry on having the courage to receive the ball in any part of the pitch and just to play simple, always be an option for your team-mate.

“Always be passing and giving it again. Just little things like that.

“I think we will be okay. We’ve analysed what we could have done better and now it’s about learning from them.”

And what about the Emirates? Trailing and second best but then up against ten men when Declan Rice was sent off?

“Again disappointed. It shows where we’ve come from now as a team.

“It was a good point, but there was ten men.

“We know we could have capitalised on the situation at that time and we wanted to win that game, so that was disappointment.

“When I first came to the club, maybe there wouldn’t have been that as much disappointment in the dressing room or around the club, that you’ve got a point at the Emirates away.

“We want to be winning those games if you’re in that position.

“Maybe we’re leading at Liverpool and we know that we are playing so well.

“We’ve got to carry on playing well and we want to win the game.”

As Welbeck’s time in Brighton has shown, you never know where that sort of ambition might take you.

Danny Welbeck is supporting the American Express Shop Small campaign, which encourages the nation to champion their local high street. Between now and 7 December 2024, American Express is calling on its Cardmembers to ‘Champion Small’ by nominating their favourite small businesses to give them the chance of winning one of ten £10,000 business grants. For more information visit, go.amex/championsmall2024