Chris Hughton believes Ezequiel Schelotto's defensive development has helped him earn a place in Brighton's starting line-up.

The Argentine has started at right-back in Brighton's last eight Premier League matches and the FA Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United.

And Hughton says curbing Schelotto's natural attacking tendencies has been apart of his increased reliability in the Seagulls back-four.

The Albion boss said: "I think it has been about breaking his game down a little bit.

"If I look at where he played before, he played as a full-back but very offensive. He has got good energy. We want him to get forward but we want that off a base of being a good defender first.

"I'm not saying he has not been that abroad.

"But I think the teams he played for abroad probably had more licence and more scope to be more attacking.

"All we have done is break his game down a little bit. The basis was always there.

"He is 28 years of age, he has played at a good level and good clubs.

"We knew he was a good player and it is just getting him into our system, that's all."