New Brighton centre-back Leon Balogun believes the Premier League will be as difficult as the World Cup.

The 30-year-old, who joined the Seagulls from Mainz in May, featured for Nigeria during the Super Eagles campaign in Russia.

He told The Argus: "I think there's going to a lot more on the same level as I faced at the World Cup.

"The qualities of the offensive players in the Premier League is amazingly high and it's going to be an exciting challenge.

"I have some experience already. I still have to settle in, get used to the system that we play. Maybe the gaffer wants me to play different to when I was playing at Mainz.

"At this level you have got to have a certain level of understanding, because there's not much time to fit in. I joined the group three weeks later, that's just part of my job."