Brighton boss Graham Potter says 19-year-old Aaron Connolly needs to be protected following his rapid rise from academy prospect to making his debut for the Republic of Ireland.

He also scored a brace against Tottenham on his Premier League debut.

"He's had quite a couple of weeks, hasn't he? We have to look after him, make sure that he has a long successful career," said Potter.

"But he was great in the (Spurs) game for us, not just his goals, I thought his overall contribution to the team was really good, pressed well, defended well.

"And then just for him to get that international debut, it's fantastic for him - disappointed obviously for him and the Irish boys that the result wasn't what they wanted."