In Gerry Ryan, the footballer and the man, we have lost a Brighton and Hove Albion great

Even before he arrived at the Goldstone his transfer from Bohemians in Ireland to Derby County in 1977 warranted pictures on the back of most of the red-top papers. So maybe he was always destined to be a little bit special?

By the time he joined Albion in early 1978 for a £100,000, a lot of money back then even for an ambitious second division club, so began a journey which etched the likeable Irishman into Albion folklore.

In the wake of Gerry’s sad passing on Sunday afternoon, I reflected on not only my own personal memories of Gerry but also his Albion achievements and you have to admit 32 goals in 173 appearances doesn’t really scratch the surface.

His 43rd minute strike at St James’ Park, Newcastle, in May 1979, gave the Albion an unassailable 3-0 lead at the break The Toon pulled one back as the Seagulls clinched promotion to the First Division for the first time ever.

That August it was a case of what might have been as Gerry had the first chance for the Albion in the top flight when he hit the bar in the first minute against Arsenal at a packed Goldstone, before the Gunners ran out 4-0 winners.

Gerry also put down a marker with Brian Clough, whose Forest team, by then reigning Champions of Europe, had gone nearly two years unbeaten in the league at the City Ground, before lowly Brighton went there and won 1-0 courtesy of a goal from... guess who? That was preserved forever for Albion fans by the Match of the Day cameras.

It was the ITV cameras then captured one of, by his own admission, Gerry’s greatest goals – against Manchester City at the Goldstone in December 1979.

Four snapshots in a landmark Albion year, but there were so many more, such as him being on the scoresheet at Anfield as Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup in 1983, followed by deja vu 12 months later – another memorable strike again despatching the Reds out of the cup at home, this time in front of live ITV cameras.

You never got anything less than 100% from Gerry – but above all that he truly was a nice person.

His career was ended by a cynical, horrific challenge at Selhurst Park in April 1985. But testament to the man’s character he picked himself up and with the help of his testimonial committee and Phoenix Brewery he acquired the Witch Inn at Lindfield.

When we had the chance to talk some 10 years later he recounted these challenging times, but said a sense of perspective was highlighted in the shape of a letter from a Brighton whose young son had died of cancer – but during his illness he’d been invited to watch the Albion train. The lad’s dad said it was one of the greatest days of his son’s short life, and thanked him and hoped his recovery would be successful.

Back then Gerry admitted he laid in that bed in 1985, leg in traction, and was moved to tears, it was only a broken leg – and life, however different, would go on.

They say you should never meet you idols because they often disappoint, but that was not the case with Gerry. From when I first met him socially in the 1990s, the mark of the man was that he would always ask after my family. Form is indeed temporary but class is permanent.

The title ‘legend’ gets thrown around far too easily, but in Gerry Ryan, the footballer and the man, we truly have lost an Albion great.