Joel Veltman Praises Brighton’s “Fight” and Bart Verbruggen’s Performance

Brighton defender Joel Veltman commended his team-mates’ “fight” during a “tough” match against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium, a game in which Fabian Hurzeler’s squad continued their campaign for European football. Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex following the victory, Veltman stated: “Bournemouth away is always tough. We were in a good place, and I think they were as well. We knew it would be tough with the weather and the rain. You know it’s going to be a fight and, after all, we did well.” Veltman further elaborated on the team’s collective effort, adding: “Everybody who came on was really into the fight. The effort was unreal and that’s what you need with 10 men.” He also highlighted the necessity of both fortune and a skilled goalkeeper: “They were bringing five or six guys into the box at times, so we needed a bit of luck but also a good goalkeeper behind us. We had all of that, so we got the result.” Veltman also expressed significant admiration for 22-year-old goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, noting: “He took loads of goal kicks, he did well on the line, and he helped us a lot coming out and making those saves.” He continued to explain Verbruggen’s impact: “It keeps you in the game and it helps to build confidence in defence. As a defender it’s good to know that when someone passes you, the goalkeeper will also be there to save it or kill the chance.” Concluding his remarks on Verbruggen, Veltman said: “Hopefully he is going to stay here for loads of years, but how he is doing right now is amazing.”