TRANSFER-LISTED Blackburn Rovers striker Leon Best says he wants to use his move to Brighton and Hove Albion to reinvigorate his ‘love’ for the game.

The 28-year-old has not played for Rovers since October 2013 and has spent the best part of the last year on loan at Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and now Brighton.

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Best said: “It’s been really hard (at Blackburn) since I’ve been there, understanding certain things and how it’s gone.

“Now it’s time to get somewhere, settle and play football, and get back to loving the game and enjoying everything about it.

“You can only do that by playing so I’m very grateful that Chris Hughton has brought me here to give me an opportunity to play.”

Best played under new Brighton boss Hughton at Newcastle United before his move to Rovers in the summer of 2012.

And the Republic of Ireland international, who has 18 months left on his lucrative Ewood Park contract, said: “As soon as Chris came here I thought that was interesting and obviously I wasn’t playing much at Derby as well.

“Then I got a call from my agent and then the manager Gary Bowyer called me and said it was a possibility.

“Chris is a really good man, a really genuine and honest man. I’d play for him any time I could.”

Best made his Seagulls debut on Wednesday when he came off the bench in their 3-2 home win over Ipswich Town.

But he will be ineligible to play in their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Arsenal on Sunday after featuring for Derby in the third round.