Brighton Goalkeeper 'Not Worried' About Hostile Palace Atmosphere Ahead of Crucial M23 Derby

Mat Ryan is not fearful of a potentially intimidating Crystal Palace atmosphere this weekend - thanks to his experience of playing in front of Besiktas' bear

Mat Ryan is not fearful of a potentially intimidating Crystal Palace atmosphere this weekend - thanks to his experience of playing in front of Besiktas' bear pit-esque home crowd.

The Brighton goalkeeper is expected to keep goal for his side in their visit to Selhurst Park on Saturday as the Premier League clubs do battle in one of the more surprising rivalries in English football.

Ryan was quoted by the Mirror as he explained why Palace's 'ultra' contingent won't make him worry about keeping Roy Hodgson's side at bay, as the Seagulls eye a win that could secure their top flight status for another season.

GLYN KIRK/GettyImages

Brighton sit seven points clear of 18th-placed Southampton but cannot become complacent in their final five matches of this campaign if they wish to play in the top tier next term.

And Ryan explained why a possible cauldron of noise at Palace's home ground won't have any effect on him, after he took to the pitch against Besiktas many moons ago.

He explained: “It certainly won’t worry me. I remember playing in a Europa League game away for Brugges in Besiktas in Turkey - and that was an atmosphere.

If the distance between Palace and Brighton is 47 miles ... what is the least local football derby in England ? I don't have the answer. I'm curious.

— Ian Dennis (@Iandennisbbc) April 13, 2018

“To describe it in words is hard - but I guess deafening is the one you’d use! There were 70,000 fans and I think we had a contingent of 500. There was 40,000 there just for the warm up.

“Their stadium has one of the highest decibel readings in world football and that night will stay a long time in my memory.

“I can’t tell you how Selhurst Park will compare because I haven’t experienced the derby there before, although I have played there in a pre-season match so I know it’s a tight ground.

Anyone who doesn’t realise what Saturday means probably hasn’t been a Brighton or Palace fan for long - it’s ingrained into you from a young age you sing songs about them you look to see if they’ve lost each week -maybe don’t know why you dislike them you just know that you do

— North Stand Seagull (mike) (@north_seagull) April 13, 2018

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“But it’s not something the players are speaking about too much. It’s only going to create an extra buzz for us."

Palace find themselves just one place and three points above the drop zone and know a win against Chris Hughton's men would give them a bit of a buffer heading into the final month of the season.