Pascal Gross: the tireless engine keeping Brighton one step ahead

Pascal Gross is not a footballer who switches off in the summer. After Germany were knocked out in the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, the midfielder entered an 8.4km race on Juist, in the East Frisian islands, and won it in 31 minutes and 35 seconds. His victory, by more than a minute, only came to light when a rival posted a video on social media. It was unexpected from a player who never seeks the spotlight, but it fits his personality: Gross simply cannot stand still.

Gross returns to Brighton and makes an immediate impact

After seven seasons in the Premier League, Gross left Brighton for Borussia Dortmund, his boyhood club. He reported for pre-season training just days after that island race. In January he returned to the Amex Stadium for a bargain £1.2m and has since shown that his obsession with running translates into elite performances.

His manager, Fabian Hürzeler, jokes that Gross uses any free moment to find another race, because he is incapable of lying on a beach for hours doing nothing. That mentality explains why, at 35, he is producing one of the most complete seasons of his career.

During the off season he's never the person who can lay on the beach for several hours and do nothing. He always needs to do something.

Elite stats for a Brighton side chasing a Champions League spot

Gross's numbers this season are remarkable. He averages more than 11.5km per match, the third-best mark in the Premier League. Hürzeler has compared him to a fine wine: the older it gets, the better it gets. The data backs that up. Named Premier League player of the month for September, Gross has combined for seven goals and assists and ranks in the top five for big chances created, line-breaking passes and key passes from open play.

Brighton have scored 23 goals in their first seven matches, the fourth-highest tally in Premier League history at that stage, and Gross has been the team's standout performer. Hürzeler admits he may not be the fastest on the pitch, but he is the quickest in the head, and that sharpness keeps him one step ahead of opponents.

Gross as a dressing-room role model

At a Brighton club where experience is valued, Gross has become the perfect role model for the younger players. Charalampos Kostoulas, the 19-year-old Greece striker, is thriving alongside him, as are Diego Gómez, Jack Hinshelwood and midfielder Yasin Ayari. Hürzeler, the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history, also leans on the German's vast experience.

A club legend and a demanding fixture list

Gross joined Brighton from Ingolstadt in 2017 and registered 75 goals and assists before leaving for Dortmund. His exit was difficult, but only something truly special could pull him away from the club where he is known as the Kaiser. On Sunday, in the 5-0 rout of Crystal Palace, he delivered the free-kick that Jaydee Canvot headed into his own net. He has now provided an assist in three consecutive matches and has the chance to become the oldest player to make it four in a row since Gianfranco Zola in December 2002.

The immediate test is a trip to Liverpool that is part of a brutal run of five consecutive away fixtures. After facing the Anfield side, Brighton will visit Manchester City twice in four days and then travel to Spain to play Getafe. It is a schedule that will test the resilience of a team that has started at a spectacular pace and can count on a Gross who has started every match in all competitions this season.

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