Brighton star "oozed class" at Bristol City - It's a shock he "hasn't done a little bit better for himself" | OneFootball

Bristol City made a fortune on the Brighton centre-back

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Bristol City supporters have enjoyed seeing some talented players operate out of Ashton Gate in their recent history.

The Robins’ current squad currently plays host to some particularly strong talents, with the likes of Anis Mehmeti and Scott Twine wowing fans on a regular basis with their brilliant technical ability.

Going slightly further back, talents such as Tammy Abraham and Tommy Conway, Bobby Decordova-Reid and now-Bournemouth sensation Antoine Semenyo impressed with their attacking instincts, creating countless memories for the Ashton Gate faithful, while Alex Scott's impact is not to be forgotten either. Another one of Bristol City’s best performers in recent times is Adam Webster, who joined the South West outfit from Ipswich Town in 2018.

It was immediately clear how high a level the centre-back was performing at, making 44 second-tier appearances for the Robins as they finished just four points shy of a place in the play-offs.

Webster’s performances weren’t going unnoticed, with interest beginning to form among Premier League clubs. It was Brighton who made an eventual move for Webster, securing his services for a whopping £20 million. The defender has featured regularly since, but his overall impact on the team has been curtailed due to injuries.

Now aged 30, Webster has been a regular — fitness permitting — throughout his time at Brighton, although he has been restricted to just 29 Premier League appearances across the last two full seasons.

When assessing Webster’s sale, Football League World’s Bristol City fan pundit, Tom Rawle, believes the centre-half performed at an unbelievable level whilst at Ashton Gate and could’ve potentially gone on to achieve even greater things.

“Adam Webster was a massive signing for us,” stated Tom. “He was absolutely brilliant before he went on to that big-money move to Brighton.

“He was phenomenal. He and Tomas Kalas at the back. I think there were a number of Championship strikers that season saying how they were the best centre-back partnership in the league. It just felt like that.

“Webster, just absolutely oozed class, and you could tell he was going to go on to bigger and better things. I am surprised he hasn't done a little bit better for himself and gone on and gotten another move.

“I did wonder at one point if he would be in the England set-up, but that hasn't materialised, and he seems to be a little bit riddled with injuries at the moment.”

Adam Webster sale was the right decision for Bristol City

Webster has gone on to have a solid Premier League career and was clearly a player always destined to perform in the top-flight, which means that Bristol City wouldn’t have held much chance of keeping him for the long term.

Despite that, cashing in on the centre-back for £20 million looks to have been an excellent choice for the Robins. This sale allowed them to reinvest in their team and facilities, ultimately leading to their goal of finishing in the play-offs last term.

Keeping a player who wanted to move on at the club against his will, whilst Premier League clubs were offering lots of money for their services, would’ve been a poor decision for Bristol City and one they will be glad they avoided taking.

Webster has been out of action this season after undergoing knee surgery in the summer and it is yet to be seen whether the 30-year-old will be able to compete for a place in the Seagulls' starting 11 upon his return.