 Stockport manager Jim Gannon said at the time that Tunnicliffe was one of the players that the club needed to retain and build around, and that he had all the attributes of a top class modern-day central defender.On 25 June 2009, Tunnicliffe joined League One side Brighton & Hove Albion for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract.After losing his place in the Brighton starting XI under manager Gus Poyet, Tunnicliffe was permitted to leave Brighton on a short-term loan deal to gain more first-team experience.