Brighton's Jack Hinshelwood. A No 10 – who knew?

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The England Under-21 international has contributed three goals and two assists in 10 appearances, which have yielded seven victories and 22 points out of 30. On Saturday at the Amex Stadium, Hinshelwood nodded Brighton into the lead after 35 seconds — the fastest goal in the club’s Premier League history spanning nine seasons — overtaking Alexis Mac Allister’s effort after 49 seconds against Aston Villa in November 2022. It launched a 3-0 stroll against relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers, with skipper Lewis Dunk adding a header from a corner after five minutes and Yankuba Minteh confirming the outcome by firing into the roof of the net after 86 minutes. Brighton are in seventh spot, well placed to secure European football for only the second time, with two games remaining away to Leeds United on May 17 and at home to Manchester United on May 24. Hinshelwood’s rapid impact was typical of the instincts he has showcased in the revised role. He headed in his third goal in as many games — having scored in a 3-0 home win against Chelsea and a 3-1 defeat away to Newcastle — after Kaoru Mitoma worked the ball out to Maxim De Cuyper to dink a cross to the far post. “He has a really good understanding of the game, really good feeling for being in the right place,” Hurzeler told reporters afterwards. “The main bit is just his desire to score. How he attacks the opponent’s box. Now he is getting the rewards, but in all the games before, he was attacking the box, he was always a threat, and therefore it’s about doing these runs all the time. “You may not always get the rewards with the first run, the second run, the third run, but he is a player that keeps going. With these kinds of runs, he not only gives himself the chance to score, but he also creates a lot of space for his team-mates and therefore he makes his team-mates better by his positioning, his desire to run in behind.” Hurzeler, who this week signed an extended contract, deserves credit for spotting Hinshelwood’s suitability as a No 10. Mats Wieffer, ruled out against Wolves by an ankle injury, has been turned from a defensive midfielder into an effective right-back.  In Hinshelwood’s case, Hurzeler felt the academy product was capable of adding a missing ingredient to his team’s attacking play. “You always reflect on games, phases of the season, statistics, the performances,” Hurzeler told The Athletic. “In certain moments, you get an understanding of what is missing and we had the feeling we missed occupying the box better, making more runs from in behind. “Therefore, Jack has the perfect profile who does these kinds of things, so we made this change. I am really pleased with how it is working.” Hinshelwood is mature beyond his years in the intelligent way he plays and in his desire to be one step ahead. He already has the UEFA B coaching licence. Raised through the academy as an orthodox central midfielder, he made his first team breakthrough under Roberto De Zerbi as an adventurous right-back in 2023-24, when Brighton reached the last 16 of the Europa League in their first taste of UEFA competition. In 77 senior appearances across all competitions, he has also played at left-back. Hinshelwood has demonstrated versatility for England’s juniors, making 11 appearances at right-back, left-back, and as a defensive midfielder. Under-21s coach Lee Carsley has not used him as a No 10… yet. That might change in the future, considering the way Hinshelwood’s career is progressing. The upcoming World Cup is too soon for a senior call-up, but it does not require much imagination to see Hinshelwood emerging for the 2030 tournament. He still has lots of room for growth and improvement, including more clinical finishing; before the Wolves game, he had not converted six out of eight big chances. That shows how regularly he puts himself into positions to score as a N0 10. “He has this flexibility in his profile,” Hurzeler said. “Wherever we need him, he will play there. And that shows he is a great team player and that he gives everything for this club, but at the moment, we are not thinking of taking him away from this position because he is really growing into this position. “He is adapting, learning, adjusting small things. He’s not satisfied with playing and playing good games; he always tries to develop and learn new things in this position.” Hinshelwood signed a new contract with Brighton in March until 2029. Hurzeler followed suit on Thursday, committing his future to the club for the same duration. They could go far together. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms