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Like most football lovers Inigo Calderon settled down last weekend to watch Manchester City against Arsenal. His enjoyment was short lived, however. 'I watched and tried to switch off the TV,' he said. 'They were on fire and I tried not to destroy my confidence!

The trouble is that on Sunday the Basque-born Brighton right back has the job of containing those very same players and at right back he may even have the task of marking Alexis Sanchez; or, if not him, Mesut Ozil; or even Santo Cazorla, man of the match last weekend.

For a side struggling in the Championship and on their fourth manager in two years it will be some ask. 'It's a joy to watch Arsenal when they play like this,' said Calderon: except when you're playing them, of course.

Santi Cazorla (centre) produced a man-of-the-match display as Arsenal beat Manchester City 2-0

Brighton defender Inigo Calderon (left) will be hoping to keep Cazorla and Co quiet in Sunday's FA Cup tie

Any suggestion that he might be psyched out by the prospect of facing the FA Cup holders after their 2-0 win at Manchester City is, however, a little foolish; for Calderon has a Master in sports psychology, obtained from the Basque Inistute of Physical Educaton in Vitoria, where he also gained an degree in sports science, all of which was done whilst playing professionally for Alaves.

'I did sports science for five years and afterwards I did a sports psychology Masters in Spain,' he said. 'I was playing for Alaves at the same time. In England that seems quite complicated but I don't know why? I don't see a reason why you can't study and play professionally at the same time.

'Even if you are a footballer you have to have a Plan B because careers are short: five, six, 10 years. And after that what? I don't know why in England you have to choose between being a footballer and studying something. It's a terrible mistake. I went to school in the morning and I trained in the afternoon - I am a footballer and I have a degree.'

Calderon, pictured with Lewis Dunk, has a Master in sports psychology and a degree in sports science

There is indeed a cultural difference, a hangover in English football from the days when education was viewed with suspicion. Not so in Spain, according to Calderon, who says that other team-mates were studying and no-one thought it strange. 'No, I think it's normal. Not everyone has a degree but it's normal to study. What are you going to do in the afternoon? Play PlayStation? I don't think that's the best thing for anyone.'

Yet even if clubs have become much more open to the idea, with the Premier League employing a whole department to focus on the academic education of young footballers, it isn't always enough to break down barriers. 'I know that here (in England) they look after the kids to further their educations,' said Calderon. '(But) the parents think their kids are going to be a footballer and they probably think the kids can get some money for the family. That's a terrible mistake because the chances of that are so small. I'm not saying that you shouldn't want to be a footballer, because it's a dream come true for me, but you can do the two things at the same time and I don't see why not.

'My parents wanted me to study at the same time because sometimes the parents, they are the ones that say: "You have to be a footballer because you are going to earn a lot of money. You can help us".'

Calderon, pictured against Brentford in the Championship, joined Brighton in 2010 from Alaves in Spain

At Brighton, when the subject was first aired in the dressing room, it was received curiously by his team-mates. 'It was a bit strange for them, because obviously that is the way in England. You have to choose (between education and football). In Spain it was more normal than here because you can do both things. When I was in the (Alaves)reserve team in Spain there were four, five, six players studying at university at the same time. I think it is going to make you better as a person and a footballer at the same time.

'We have a lot of spra time and I think it's better to use it like that rather than playing with the Playstation – because I don't how to use the consoles!'

The Basque Country defender, who found his way to the south coast at Brighton under Gus Poyet's managerial stint has become something of a fixture at the Amex Stadium. Now 33, he is into his fifth year at the club and has the experience of having played and narrowly lost 3-2 to a late Theo Walcott goal to Arsenal at his stage of the FA Cup two years ago.

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud shoots and scores during the Gunners 3-2 FA Cup win over Brighton in 2013

And his psychology degree is not simply a career on which to fall back when retirement comes, He recons it helps him even now. 'Every single day. When you have had bad day or you have been dropped from the team or you are a the bottom, you have to use it. I try as well to help the others in the team. You will have to ask them if they think it helps them or not but I improved a lot with the studies I did and grew as a person and footballer.'

Football managers were once resistant to the idea of psychologists in the past – but Brighton employs one, Sarah Murray - she discusses new ideas with Calderon - and most teams are open to the idea. 'Managers always say that don't trust much in psychology but after you always see that they apply things,' said Calderon. 'Footballers don't like to say: 'I need to see the psychologist.' It's the culture. Hopefully in five or ten years, it'll be normal, like you go to the physio. It's like a taboo, you cannot say: 'I have a problem I have to go to the psychologist.' It is another side to the football. And it's going to make you better.

'In other sports you have this kind of help. Footballers are like: 'We are footballers, we don't need that.' We think we are in a different world but we are in the same as everyone.'