On-loan midfielder George O'Callaghan has slammed Brighton chairman Dick Knight for failing to sort out players' contracts at the Sussex club. However, Knight says he has already spoken to Town regarding the futures of the Irishman and fellow Blue Matt Richards.
O'Callaghan, whose spell with Albion is up on December 31st, says Brighton boss Dean Wilkins has stated his intention to keep him at the Withdean Stadium, but the club are yet to confirm the offer of a new loan deal: "The gaffer has said he wants to keep me on loan until the end of the season but it's not ideal at the moment.
"It's funny that other clubs are speaking to me and the one I am playing for at the moment hasn't spoken to me much.”
Chairman Knight reacted angrily to O'Callaghan's comments: "George O'Callaghan is totally out of order. I would suggest he is trying to deflect attention away from his own performance [in the 3-0 defeat to Millwall on Boxing Day], which was frankly poor, and he wasn't the only one.
"Young players within the club are dealt with contract-wise as and when the time is right. He must be talking about himself, Bas Savage and Matt Richards [whose loan at Brighton ended last week].
"I agreed with Ipswich about two or three weeks ago about extending the loans of O'Callaghan and Richards until the end of the season and that was made quite clear to the players.
"George, when told, made clear to Dean Wilkins he was not interested in committing himself at this stage and that he wanted to consider his options at the end of the season.
"Matt said he also wanted to consider his options and that his agent had told him there was another club coming in.
"I think George has been very unprofessional because we have given him the chance to shine and show his talents.”
O'Callaghan, whose Town deal is up at the end of the season, is also understood to be interesting former club Cork City. Richards's Blues contract ends in June 2009.