Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Jack Hinshelwood has set a target of scoring double-figure goals this season after reflecting on three generations of his family serving the Sussex club.
The 21-year-old, who broke into the team at full-back and in deep midfield, flourished in a high-energy No 10 role under manager Fabian Hurzeler at the end of last season, scoring three goals in as many games as Brighton qualified for Europe.
His impressive form earned him a place on England manager Thomas Tuchel's 55-man longlist for the World Cup and attracted transfer interest from Arsenal, leading to online comparisons with former England captain David Platt.
"If I'm going to play in this higher position, I want to start scoring a few more goals," Hinshelwood told Daily Mail Sport. "I scored four last season but could have had 15 so I'm working hard to turn good positioning into more goals and assists. I want to score 10-plus if we're going to play 50-60 games."
He added that the UEFA Conference League is a "massive target" for Brighton, starting with tonight's play-off tie against Norwegian side Tromso before hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday. "We'll be better prepared than two years ago. We want to go as far as we can, like in every competition," he said.
Family legacy at Brighton
Hinshelwood discussed his ambitions alongside his father Adam, 42, the current manager of National League club Worthing, and his great-uncle Martin, 73, a former Brighton manager and director of football who still scouts for the club.
The three generations met at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery for the opening of a permanent exhibition tracing the history of the club, focusing on its revival since the closure of the Goldstone Ground amid liquidation fears in 1997, from exile in Gillingham to the Premier League.
For all his confidence, Jack qualifies his goals with promises to focus on Brighton rather than looking too far ahead. His family background naturally guards against complacency.
"He'll get told off by the rest of us if he does," joked Martin about the prospect of his great-nephew getting carried away.
Martin, whose own professional playing career was cut short by injury at age 24, praised Jack's versatility and tactical intelligence. "His awareness is his big asset," Martin said. "He knows where he is on the pitch and where others are. He sees things and does things early. He's just an intelligent footballer, probably more intelligent than any of the rest of us who have played."
Martin expects Jack, who is entering his fourth season with the Brighton first team, will eventually settle into central midfield. He noted that playing in multiple positions is a massive bonus during a player's learning curve.
From Withdean to the Amex
The Hinshelwood family has witnessed Brighton's journey from near extinction to European competition. Jack's first experience of the team came as an infant at the Withdean athletics complex, where Brighton played home games after returning to the city in 1999 while his father was playing.
Adam Hinshelwood recalled his own early memories of splashing around in the communal baths inside the Goldstone Ground dressing rooms when Martin was on staff, and later working as a ball boy at the Withdean as the club began its climb back up the division ladder.
"There was a buzz when the team came back to play in Brighton and Hove," Adam said. "And there were back-to-back promotions and before you knew it the Withdean was a Championship ground hosting some big teams."
Adam recalled that the Withdean had a unique setup, with the players' lounge serving as a day nursery and a pub located inside the ground. A pub is currently being built inside the Amex Stadium to bring back some of that history.
Generations on the pitch
Adam Hinshelwood, the son of Crystal Palace legend Paul Hinshelwood, was thrust into the Brighton first team at age 18 on the opening day of the 2002-03 season when his uncle Martin was manager.
After being voted man of the match in a win at Burnley, Adam was dropped for the next game. He earned a call-up to the England Under-21 squad before a serious knee injury halted his progress, leading to his retirement at age 26 after making over 100 appearances between 2002 and 2009.
Noting the similarities between their careers, Adam encouraged Jack to work on his coaching qualifications. Jack is currently studying for his UEFA B licence.
"My career was similar to Martin's," Adam said. "Dad would always tell me how good Martin was as a central midfielder who could do everything, score goals, create goals and stop goals. His career was cut short and he got into coaching and management, and I've been fortunate to do the same."
The family football dynasty began with Wally Hinshelwood, father of Martin and Paul, who played for seven clubs in the 1950s, most notably Reading and Bristol City.
Martin and Paul both came through the youth ranks at Crystal Palace under managers Malcolm Allison and Terry Venables. Paul went on to make 319 appearances over 10 years at Palace, largely at right-back despite starting as a striker.
Martin recalled that Paul worked hard after being moved to right-back, earning two caps for England Under-21s. One of those caps came at the Goldstone Ground, where Paul was booed by the local crowd on a night when Brighton hero Peter Ward scored three goals in a 6-0 win against Norway.
High standards and ambition
Martin attributed the family dynasty to a matter-of-fact attitude passed down by his father Wally. When Fulham released Martin at age 15, he traveled home alone from Putney by train and bus, only for his father to say: "You're probably not good enough," driving him to prove himself.
"My parents helped us in every way but always left a bit there to say, 'Go on, you need to do more'," Martin said, adding that family members always focus on errors rather than praise to keep players grounded.
Adam recalled experiencing similar discipline from Martin during his playing days, remembering how his uncle would shout at him in training to keep him focused. Adam noted that his youngest son, aged 11, gets off easier than Jack did.
Jack embraced the high expectations surrounding his career. "None of us are comfortable with what we've got," Jack said. "Like Dad in his coaching, he's doing really well but we all want more. It never stops. And probably that means we don't enjoy it sometimes as we should, but we always just want more."
