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Crawley Town’s newest signing Ryan Loft has impressed Scott Lindsey this week – and the Reds boss said the striker brings something different he hasn’t had before at the Broadfield Stadium.

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The 27-year-old forward has plenty of EFL experience, having also played for Stevenage, Exeter City, Carlisle Utd, Scunthorpe Utd, Bristol Rovers and Port Vale. He originally came through the Tottenham Youth system, playing at u18 and u23 level, as well as playing for Leicester City u23s.

And he is contention to be involved in Saturday’s match at Harrogate Town after impressing in training this week.

Lindsey said: “I think that the biggest thing for me was bringing a little bit more nous and experience to the team. Obviously we did that with Scott Malone and now Lofty as well.

“He's added to that little bit of experience, played many games in the Football League. And I think he's 27 years of age. It's not kind of a young, young one.

“And I'm watching him in training and I'm quite excited to see him play.”

But what has caught Lindsey’s eye most about Loft? “He's a good footballer, first of all,” he said. “He's come out of Tottenham. Tottenham don't usually have bad footballers for a start.

“He can handle the ball really well. He's actually really, really quick. He's a fast runner for a big lad.

“And he's a big lad, which, we've not been blessed with certainly at the top of the pitch over the times I've been here.

“Not that we're going to start lumping it forward because we're not, but it gives us that physicality from set pieces in both boxes and probably would encourage us to probably cross the ball more, which I've been trying to get the players to do anyway.

“He’s a brilliant signing for me. Looking forward to seeing him play. He's been amazing in training, I've got to say.”

And Lindsey confirmed he is likely to be involved at Harrogate. “He's fit and available so he stands a chance of being involved in the game certainly.

“It’s exciting to see him in a Crawley shirt actually. I think it's something that I've never had is kind of a little bit of size up the pitch.

“So we’ll see how that looks and I'm looking forward to that.”

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Three former Kawasaki Frontale players are currently set to play in the Premier League next season

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Tottenham’s deal to sign Japan international defender Kota Takai from J-League side Kawasaki Frontale means three former Frontale stars could be in the top flight next season.

The 20-year-old will move to north London in July for a £5million fee and will compete in central defence with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso and Radu Dragusin.

Takai will join Ao Tanaka of Leeds United and Brighton’s Japan winger Kaoru Mitoma. Here’s a look at the talented Japanese trio.

Kaoru Mitoma

Brighton’s 28-year-old Japanese winger, is one of the most dangerous wingers in the Premier League, currently attracting interest from Bayern Munich. Sky Germany stated: “Bayern Munich will target Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma if they miss out on Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams.”

Since joining Brighton in 2021 from Frontale for around £3m, Mitoma has notched 20 goals and 13 assists in 88 appearances, showcasing his dribbling and pace.

Mitoma is a huge favourite with the fans and has a habit of producing spectacular goals, which has made him one Brighton’s most in-demand players. His contract runs until 2027 and the Seagulls hope he will be at the Amex next season.

Ao Tanaka

Leeds United’s 26-year-old Japanese midfielder, has become a fan favourite since his £3.4m move from Fortuna Düsseldorf in August 2024.

He moved to Düsseldorf in 2021 after making 79 appearances for Kawasaki Frontale.

His technical prowess, passing, and tactical awareness earned him a spot in the Championship Team of the Season and Leeds’ Players’ Player of the Year award.

He is nicknamed “Tiger Tanaka” by manager Daniel Farke but fans often chant “A-O!” for the midfielder, who expressed his joy at promotion with 150,000 supporters.

Kota Takai

The 20-year-old Japanese centre-back, has joined Tottenham Hotspur from Kawasaki Fron for a record-breaking £5m J-League transfer.

Standing at 6ft 4in, Takai’s athleticism, 88 per cent pass completion, and defensive ability – including his performance against Cristiano Ronaldo in the AFC Champions League – make him a promising talent.

He rejected Udinese, Borussia Monchengladbach, and Hoffenheim to join Spurs, where he’ll compete with Romero, Van de Ven, Danso, and Dragusin.

Japanese football expert Dan Orlowitz noted, “It was inevitable a player of Takai’s ability would make the jump to a leading European league”.

His contract runs until 2030.

He made his international debut in September in a 7-0 World Cup qualifying win over China having helped his club side to an eighth-place finish domestically last season.

He is the club’s second signing since Thomas Frank was appointed as head coach in place of Ange Postecoglou earlier in June, after Mathys Tel’s six-month loan from Bayern Munich was made permanent.

In 2024 he was named Japan’s young player of the year having broken into Kawasaki’s first team two years previously.

Related topics:BrightonPremier LeagueBayern MunichJapanLeeds UnitedTottenham

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Brighton starlet Jack Hinshelwood was disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to get his first career hat-trick on the last day of the season.

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The Seagulls came from a goal down to comfortably beat Europa League champions Tottenham 4-1 in North London on Sunday (May 25). The result confirmed their second highest ever league finish (eighth) but it was not enough for Europe due to results elsewhere.

Playing in a more advanced role in the absence of a recognised striker, 20-year-old Hinshelwood scored his first career brace to put Brighton 2-1 ahead.

The visitors had to fight back from a goal down after Dominic Solanke’s early penalty – but eventually ran out comfortable winners.

As the clock ticked down, Brighton were given an 88th minute penalty after their former midfielder Yves Bissouma fouled Diego Gomez.

Designated penalty taker Matt O’Riley stepped up to tuck home the spot-kick – despite chants from the away fans for Hinshelwood to take it.

Asked about that moment, post-match, Hinshelwood said: “I did want it.

"Obviously I missed the last penalty [in the FA Cup defeat against Nottingham Forest] but I wanted to score the hat-trick.

"But I had to put the team first.

“Matt O'Riley was the designated taker and he was confident, so it was more important to win the game rather than me getting my hat-trick.

“It would have been nice to get a hat-trick if it had gone in. I probably would have missed! I’m joking.”

Fresh from scoring the winner against Liverpool, Hinshelwood – a product of the Albion academy – grabbed two instinctive goals against Spurs, the second of which being a sublime back-heel.

When a journalist remarked that he has a ‘real eye for goal’, Hinshelwood replied: “Yeah, I suppose so. I’ve got a knack or whatever it is.

"I just try to put myself in good positions in the box. I was lucky today, two fell at my feet and I was able to turn them goalwards.

"When they hit the back of the net, it's always a nice feeling. Scoring a goal, if you could bottle up that feeling every time, it would be more worth it. Well, that's the key thing, to get inside that six-yard box and be right on the spot."

On the back-heel, he added: “I think the ball just fell at quite an awkward height. I tried to get whatever I could on it and when I turned and saw it rolling in the net, that was a relief and a nice feeling.

“I think first half I was more sort of playing like a striker. Obviously we missed Danny [Welbeck[ today, he's been massive for us all season. I'll give my all in any position, maybe it's not my best position, but if the manager puts me there, I'll give my all and try to contribute to the team.”

Hinshelwood revealed that Hurzeler told the players after the match that they should have ‘no regrets’ about missing out on Europe.

He added: “We gave it our all.

“Obviously there were points in the season where we were a bit disappointed and we could probably have ended on a higher points tally. But it’s all learning and I think next season is going to be a really exciting one if we can continue on that kind of trajectory.

“I think there was obviously lots of ups and downs and we had some really good runs. If we can polish that up next season and have a bit more consistency, obviously it helps when you've got players fit, then we'll have a real chance.”

On his rapport with the fans, he said: “I can sort of resonate with them. I've been in their position, so I know what it's like.

“I know what they want to see from players on the pitch. I just try to do that to the best I can. I haven't got the ability of people like [Kaoru] Mitoma, Joao Pedro, but one thing I can guarantee is how hard I'm going to work and show that grit and determination.”

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Danny Welbeck and Pervis Estupinan were notable absentees from the matchday squad at Tottenham Hotspur.

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Brighton were without a recognised striker for the final Premier League match of the season.

Joao Pedro was not involved after being left out of the squad once again following a training ground ‘altercation’ with Jan Paul van Hecke.

It was therefore a surprise to see Welbeck missing, alongside left-back Pervis Estupinan.

Explaining their absence post-match, Albion manager Fabian Hurzeler said: "They had a minor injury, and we had to take care of them.”

It was a case of no striker, no problem for Brighton as they thrashed Europa League champions Tottenham 4-1.

The Seagulls came from a goal down to comfortably win 4-1 in North London. The result confirmed their second highest ever league finish (eighth) but it was not enough for Europe due to results elsewhere.

Hurzeler was asked by a reporter if it was ‘overlooked’ that Brighton were just one point (61) short of their best final tally in the Premier League. Albion finished on 62 points when they qualified for the Europa League under Roberto De Zerbi.

The German, 32, replied: “No, because I judged the season in my way, and I think, like I said, we faced a lot of adversity.

"We faced a lot of challenges, but we always stick together. I can judge the season in the right way, and I'm really proud of the team, I'm really proud of my staff, I'm really proud of the whole club.

"If we would reach Europe, everyone would say it's an incredible season, and I think we did enough to get to Europe.

"We can't influence the other results, and like you said, we finished one point behind the record, so I think it's a great achievement and we can be proud of ourselves.

"I would also say the same message, that there are things to improve, we know it, we try to improve it. That's the challenge we have to have for the next season, and we're looking forward to it.”

As well as avoiding defeat at Spurs, Brighton needed Chelsea to lose against Nottingham Forest to keep their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League alive – but former Albion loanee Levi Colwill scored the winner for the Blues. Aston Villa also lost 2-0 against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Hurzeler said he was not keeping an eye on results elsewhere in the Premier League during the match.

He added: “I was in my tunnel when I coached my team, I can't have any distractions beside me, so I was really focused, and that's the only thing we could influence.

“I said it before the game, I said it in press conference, I said it to the team, focus on the things we can influence, and all the other things we can't influence, and therefore we have to accept it, and we have to get an understanding, and the right reflection on the season, and try to come back stronger next season.”

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It was a case of no striker, no problem for Brighton as they thrashed Europa League champions Tottenham in the final Premier League match of the season.

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Albion – playing without a recognised striker – came from a goal down to comfortably win 4-1 in North London. The result confirmed their second highest ever league finish (eighth) but it's not enough for Europe due to results elsewhere.

Brighton needed Chelsea to lose against Nottingham Forest to keep their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Conference League alive – but former Albion loanee Levi Colwill scored the winner for the Blues. Aston Villa also lost 2-0 against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the visitors fell behind after 17 minutes with Dominic Solanke scoring a penalty – after Mats Wieffer brought down Mathys Tel.

The second-half was a completely different story though, with the Seagulls scoring four times without reply.

Jack Hinshelwood – who scored the winner against Liverpool last weekend – grabbed a brace to put Brighton ahead. The second goal was one of his best in a Brighton shirt, brilliantly back-heeling the ball past Vicario.

Albion were then given a penalty on the 88th minute and there were shouts from the fans for 20-year-old Hinshelwood to step up and get his first ever career hat-trick.

However, Matt O’Riley instead took the spot-kick and he made no mistake to put Brighton 3-0 up.

Albion were not done there, with Diego Gomez curling in a sublime strike from distance to seal the victory.

Watch the video at the top of this page to see the post-match celebrations, with Hinshelwood, Gomez and manager Fabian Hurzeler among those to celebrate with the travelling fans.

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Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler said he will not concern himself with results elsewhere as he prepares to face Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur.

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The Seagulls still have a chance to get European football next season if they finish eighth, and hope that Chelsea drop out of the top six with a defeat at Nottingham Forest – before winning the UEFA Conference League final.

Eighth would also be enough if Carabao Cup winners Newcastle finish seventh and Chelsea finish sixth – whilst also beating Real Betis on Wednesday (May 28).

Brighton will be hoping for another taste of European football next season after Roberto De Zerbi guided the Seagulls into the Europa League.

On the preparations for the Spurs game, he said: “The only thing we can influence is our result and our preparation for the game and that’s what we try to do. The other results we can’t influence, we try to focus on us.

“We are fully focused. We always emphasise that we can only be successful as a group when we feel this togetherness, when we have this togetherness on and beside the pitch. That’s what we really try to emphasize every day.”

Tottenham edged out Manchester United 1-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday, qualifying them for the Champions League next season despite being 17th in the league.

There were wild celebrations from the players after that win, with Hurzeler not focusing on what Spurs have done, with him only focusing on his team.

He said: “They played the final. I think both teams felt a lot of pressure and in the end, Tottenham won. They played very maturely. They scored one goal and that’s why they deserved to win.

“We don’t know. I think that’s one of the questions I was asked most in the last few hours, but my answer will be always the same.

"I can’t influence how they celebrate or how they will prepare for the game. The only things I can influence are how we prepare our team, and we will try to be the best prepared team we can be. That’s what our focus is on.”

There could be a party atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Ange Postecoglou’s side achieved the club’s first trophy since 2008.

Hurzeler said: “That’s why we don’t know what we will face there. We don’t know how the atmosphere will be. We don’t know which team we will face and which mood they are in. They’re all factors and things we can’t influence.

“The only thing we can do is make sure that we have a good training session, that we have a good training week and that we are mentally, physically ready for this game, because one thing that will hundred percent happen is we will face an opponent. They can beat every team in the league. They have individual quality. They play high intensity football, so that’s what we have to expect.”

Hurzeler spent a day in 2023 with Postecoglou at Tottenham, gaining valuable experience which he has taken into this season.

He went on to praise the Aussie, adding: “I’m happy for him because he’s a very good guy. He deserves this. He deserves it and he has a lot of pressure on how he deals with it.

“I think he’s a role model for young coaches as well, like me. I’m very happy for him.

"I know that he worked hard for this and what I really like is that he said already in September after a game against Arsenal [that he wins things in his second season]. He’s a man who can look into the future and that’s something very impressive.”

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Brighton are without a recognised striker for the final Premier League match of the season, away at Tottenham Hotspur.

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Danny Welbeck has not been named in the matchday squad due to a suspected injury.

Joao Pedro is also not involved after being left out of the squad once again following a training ground ‘altercation’ with Jan Paul van Hecke.

Pervis Estupinan is also missing from the squad after picking up an unspecified injury. He is replaced in the team by Jack Hinshelwood, who scored the winning goal against Liverpool.

In better news for Albion, Igor starts for the first time since January and James Milner is back in the squad after nine months out of action.

With Albion without a striker in the team, it is perhaps a surprise to see star forward Kaoru Mitoma on the bench once again.

The Japan international has been heavily linked with Bayern Munich and Arsenal, as Albion brace themselves for a great deal of interest in the winger this summer.

National media reports suggest Joao Pedro could also be leaving Brighton in the summer. The 23-year-old has plenty of admirers, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.

European football is still a possibility for Brighton, if they finish eighth in the Premier League – and Chelsea win the UEFA Conference League final against Real Betis, whilst finishing outside the top six.

Eighth would also be enough if Newcastle finish seventh and Chelsea finish sixth.

If this happens, this will be Brighton’s first time competing in the Conference League and the second time in three seasons the Seagulls will be playing in Europe.

Before the trip to Spurs, Fabian Hurzeler told reporters: “The only thing we can influence is our result and our preparation for the game and that’s what we try to do. The other results we can’t influence, we try to focus on us.

“We are fully focused. We always emphasise that we can only be successful as a group when we feel this togetherness, when we have this togetherness on and beside the pitch. That’s what we really try to emphasize every day.”

Brighton line-up: Bart Verbruggen, Igor Julio, Adam Webster, Jan Paul van Hecke, Jack Hinshelwood, Carlos Baleba, Mats Wieffer, Simon Adingra, Yasin Ayari, Brajan Gruda, Yankuba Minteh.

Brighton make the trip to north London this afternoon to round off their 2024-25 Premier League campaign.

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Brighton have received a huge boost ahead of their final-day trip to face Spurs, with boss Ange Postecoglou detailing the effects of the club’s celebrations following their recent European success.

The north London outfit lifted their first trophy in 17 years when they claimed the Europa League with a 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao.

An open-top bus parade took place on Friday evening, with thousands of fans lining the streets outside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to celebrate with the players.

Although Postecoglou insisted his men were given free rein to soak up the occasion, there were a few members of his squad who definitely enjoyed the party.

Despite this, though, the head coach is adamant he’ll be able to field a team to face this afternoon as Brighton bid to end the campaign on a winning note.

Ange Postecoglou details effects of Spurs’ Europa League celebrations ahead of Brighton game

He told Football London: ‘Yeah we’ll be able to field a team. As I’ve got older, I used to be a bit different but I really feel you need to celebrate your achievements properly. That was my message to the boys. It’s really important because it’s important for them, because they’re the ones who have done it and achieved it.

‘It’s important for the people around them because then they can relax as well and then it’s important to make the experience as memorable as possible because when I ask them to climb the mountain again, there is a reason for it.

‘Fair to say they took my words literally and certainly enjoyed themselves over the last couple of days. Like all parties there is one family member who embarrasses you and we want to keep control of.

Fair to say we had a couple of those, but again, it doesn’t make them bad people and they are probably the first ones you reinvite to the next party. The boys are all good. We’ll be good tomorrow.

‘No, I just love seeing and it’s important the boys celebrated. We’ve been through a lot and it is part of how you create this winning mentality and bond because I am sure when they reflect, when they reflect on the game and the feelings afterwards, even the last 24 to 48 hours, the parade yesterday was unbelievable, all those things are important.’

With the 1-0 triumph over Manchester United in midweek taking a toll on some of the squad, Postecoglou revealed two key players from the final look set to miss Brighton’s visit this afternoon.

And the head coach also claimed he will make a late call on the fitness of former Seagulls midfielder Yves Bissouma after he picked up a knock during the game.

‘Some of them. I had to push a few of them out there! I think by the end of training they will all be keen to get out there and perform well. There will be a couple of absences, I should have mentioned that.

‘Romero has been struggling with his toe for quite a while so we'll leave him out and probably Sonny because his foot has still not healed. They've both sort of made a massive effort to get to the final.

‘Bissouma got a knock in the game and he's kind of 50/50 at the moment. The rest of them, physically anyway, are ok.’

Brighton make the trip to north London on Sunday afternoon to bring their Premier League campaign to a close.

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Brighton take on Spurs this Sunday looking to end their Premier League campaign on a winning note.

Fabian Hurzeler’s men head into the final-day contest on a high after beating champions Liverpool 3-2 on Monday.

Albion are in fine form and make the trip to north London off the back of a four-game unbeaten run. This has helped the Seagulls solidify eighth place in the Premier League and need just a point to give themselves an unassailable advantage over Brentford.

Meanwhile, Spurs are also on a high after enjoying European success in midweek, beating Manchester United 1-0 to lift the Europa League.

The triumph in Bilbao crucially lifted the mounting pressure on Ange Postecoglou, whose future remains uncertain at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

Speaking after their glory on Wednesday, the Australian insisted no meetings had been planned with chairman Daniel Levy over his future. He said: ‘No planned meetings, I haven’t had any discussions, no one’s spoken to me about it. Maybe they don’t need to or they’re waiting for this game.’

Following their Europa League success, Spurs are set for an open-top bus parade around the local area, with thousands expected to turn out.

That will no doubt disrupt key preparations ahead of Sunday’s season finale against Brighton, who could still have an outside chance of achieving European football next term.

Postecoglou revealed his plans by adding: ‘What I do know is that I’m going to go back to my hotel room, get my family and friends over, open a bottle of scotch, have a couple of quiet ones and then get ready for a massive parade on Friday.

‘We then play Brighton on Sunday, a really important home game to end the season strong. Then on Monday I’m going on holiday with my beautiful family because I deserve it. Que sera sera.’

Fabian Hurzeler on Spurs’ Europa League triumph

A major turn of events would have to occur for Brighton to achieve a spot in the UEFA Conference League next season.

Nonetheless, Albion know they will have to win to even give themselves a slim chance of gaining European football next term.

With an open-top bus parade expected for Spurs ahead of the Seagulls’ final-day trip, Hurzeler has made it clear his side will be as fully prepared as possible.

He said: ‘They played the final. Both teams felt a lot of pressure and in the end Tottenham won and played very maturely. They scored the goal and deserved to win so congrats to them.

‘We don't know. I can't influence how they celebrate, how they prepare. We will try to be the best prepared team we can be.’

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It seems like Mission Impossible for Crawley Town into the last couple of games of the season, but one man who believes they can pull off the great escape is midfielder Jack Roles.

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The 26-year-old was recalled from his loan spell at Gateshead by Scott Lindsey when he return for his second spell as Reds boss.

Roles has played a vital part in the four points they picked up over the Easter weekend - in the unfamiliar role of right wing back.

And he will continue to play a vital role in the last week of the season where only two wins will be enough for Crawley to stand a chance of staying up. When we asked Roles if they can do it, he was emphatic in his reply. “Of course we can, we're Crawley,” he said. “No one thought we could get promoted last year, no one gave us a chance this year, and with two games left, we're still fighting.

“We would rather be in a better position, but look, that's football, we can't dwell on the past, we can only focus on the next two games, and if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be.

“But it won't be through the thought of trying, and we're all going to leave everything on that pitch on Saturday, and if we get through that game, we'll leave everything at Shrewsbury away.”

Reds are relying on Burton, who have three games left, and Bristol Rovers losing their final games to stand any chance of staying up. But Roles said they will not focus on other results. “I'm sure the Gaffer would let us know what's going on, because as you said, we have to win, so if we're winning and Burton are winning, it's not going to change anything. If we're winning and Burton are losing, it's not going to change anything. We just have to win, so that's all we can control for 90 minutes on the pitch, and when we come in, hopefully we'll get the good news that they've dropped points, and then we've taken it down to the last game.”

And Roles has enjoyed his time at right wing back. “It's been really enjoyable, it's something I've never ever done before,” he said. “It's just taken me a bit by surprise how kind of well I've done in the position over the two games, because it's been two hard-ish games, and I feel like I've held my own a bit.

“I've been quite proud of myself, because I've never done it before, and it's been quite unnatural, but when you've got Smudge [Neil Smith] on the sideline and Dicko [Chris Dixon] just talking you through the game and giving you ideas, and then the manager comes in half-time, because he's been in the stands for the last two games, he can see a bigger picture and he can tell me what to do.

“So with all the help around, it made it a lot easier, and I just want to play as many minutes as possible, it doesn't matter if it's in the middle or on the right. I think I played up front at the start of the season against Brighton, so I've kind of done a bit of everything this season.”