BERAM Kayal could be a not-so-secret weapon for Brighton at the Macron this afternoon.

The Israeli midfielder was snapped up for next to nothing by Neil Lennon at Celtic in 2010, and went on to feature in each of his three title-winning campaigns in charge.

Now he will be anchoring the Albion midfield against his old boss, who believes Chris Hughton might have got a bargain for the £350,000 he paid for his services last month.

“He’s a very good player,” Lennon said. “When he first broke into the Celtic team he was sensational but he had a couple of horrendous injuries which curtailed him a bit. He’s a good player and a fantastic lad, so he’ll do very well for them.

“He reads the game well. When he first came in he was a ferocious tackler and he’s great at getting the ball back and driving the game.

“I think the injuries hampered his progress but if he gets going again he’ll be a very good signing. His attitude towards the game is fantastic.”

Kayal suffered hernia and ankle problems at Parkhead, never completely nailing down a first-team place. He was consequently linked with a loan move to Wanderers during Owen Coyle and Dougie Freedman’s time in charge.

But Lennon denied any attempt had been made to re-sign him in January, given his stocks of defensive midfielders are already overflowing.

Brighton have surprisingly struggled this season having been beaten in the play-offs for the previous two campaigns.

Lennon reckons the arrival of Hughton in December has played a huge part in their revival.

“They’ve probably not done as well as everyone thought,” he said. “The last couple of seasons they have been there or thereabouts in the play-offs.

“Chris has come in and he’s a very thorough operator. He sets his sides up to be difficult to beat and counter well.”

Hughton also senses he has picked up a bargain in midfielder Kayal and agrees he has been an integral part in Albion’s four-game undefeated run.

“I think he’s been part of a good, stable team in the last four games,” he said.

“It wouldn’t be right for me to put recent results down to one person but he’s had a good influence and he’s a player that is showing at this moment the reasons why we brought him in.

“It’s been a really good team effort in the last four games and he’s been very much part of that. He is fitting in very well but they are a good group here.

“He is a good individual. he wants to win, but this has also given him an opportunity to play.

“This is somebody who, for whatever reason over the last season or so, has played nowhere near the amount of football he wanted to so he’s very happy at the moment. We certainly hope there’s more to come.”

Hughton is expected to bring Greg Halford – the utility man who came close to signing at Wanderers in October – back into his squad after a knee injury today.

The Nottingham Forest defender-turned-striker would have been Freedman’s final signing for the Whites had an unfortunate injury not scuppered his move at the last minute.