"It is true that nobody would've believed we would be in this position right now," says Mats Wieffer when reflecting on Brighton being second in the Premier League after 10 games and unbeaten in the Conference League after three fixtures.

The Seagulls overhauled part of their squad this summer in preparation for European football, selling high-profile players such as Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke and Danny Welbeck, while bringing in club-record signing Luka Vuskovic and other reinforcements.

"Loads of players left in the summer, so nobody knew what was coming or how well we were prepared for this season, but everyone really believes here," Wieffer told BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast. "Everybody is together, even the new guys like Chema Andres and Luka Vuskovic.

"We have some really young players and also some really talented players who all want to work, and we see that all the time on the pitch. The new players really want to work and learn, and we can all see that too.

"Everybody is really excited because it feels like it is working and clicking for us right now.

"We have to keep going though, because there are loads of games coming up, especially in December. We are in so many competitions, although we are lucky to be out of the Carabao Cup, so we have loads to play for."

On the praise head coach Fabian Hurzeler deserves, Wieffer added: "He is still dead young, some of the players are still older than him, but he has developed so much as a coach from when I arrived here until now.

"The way we are playing at the moment has come from him pointing out really key things we need to do in order to play well. It always works out if we do what he says on the pitch. He has given us some things to do that really work.

"I'm really happy to be working with him, and I think everybody else is happy with him too."