Darren Freeman

This versatile Brighton player appeared for the first month of last season while suffering from a hernia problem before succumbing to surgery which kept him out of the reckoning until mid December. When Darren returned to the Seagulls line-up he never quite seemed to regain the form he had shown in 1999-200 and although he produced a solid performance in the away victory at Torquay he was subsequently relegated to the subs bench. The hernia problem flared up again in April and a further operation was required which effectively ended his campaign. The injury proved so severe that Darren retired from League football in August 2001.