Billy Gilmour earns man of the match in stunning display as Brighton reach Europa League last 16

Scotland midfielder shines on the big stage as the Seagulls defeat Marseille in group decider

Billy Gilmour in action during his man of the match performance for Brighton against Marseille. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Billy Gilmour produced a man of the match display as Brighton booked their place in the Europa League last 16 with a 1-0 win over Marseille on Thursday night.

The Scotland midfielder put in a stunning performance against the French side as Joao Pedro's 88th-minute winner at the Amex saw the Seagulls top the group and avoid having to navigate a knockout play-off round in 2024.

Gilmour is enjoying a rich vein of form, highlighted by his individual statistics in the game, which saw him make 103 touches and complete 89 passes with a 97 per cent accuracy the highest of any player on the pitch.

His six ground duels won were also the most by any player in a display that left fans and pundits raving and which will no doubt have brought a smile to face of Scotland boss Steve Clarke as he assesses his midfield options ahead of Euro 2024.

Afterwards, the former Rangers youngster revealed that some tough management from Brighton manager Roberto De Zebri during pre-season helped raise his standards to a point where he is now a first-team regular, filling the hole left by Moises Caciedo’s record £115m move to Chelsea after spending much of last season on the bench.

He told TNT Sports: "When we came back for pre-season he was proper on me. He wanted more, standards high, how quick we pass, less touches. He was totally on me every day, but it was good. Of course, you have bad days and good days but I was coming in and I knew I had to train hard. Now he's appreciating me more, saying to me 'well done', and he's not on me as much. I've really enjoyed working under our gaffer – he's amazing.

"You can take it both ways, but I think I get a little bit better when I want to prove you wrong. If someone is on to you, you can go one of two ways. You can go in your shell and not be confident, but for me it was the motivation to try and push on and kick on."