'Cards on the table' – Key Brighton man reveals first chat with Fabian Hurzeler and how it changed him
Brighton defender on working under new boss Fabian Hurzeler
Experienced Brighton defender Joel Veltman admits he’s still learning more about the game and about himself under new head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
Veltman, 32, has been a key man for Albion this term and has started six from seven of their Premier League matches so far. The only fixture he missed due to illness saw Albion go down 4-2 in a chaotic clash at Chelsea.
"The first proper conversation was after a strength and conditioning session in Japan [during pre-season] and he was telling me that he really liked me, that I see the game properly and what the game asks from me as a player,” said the former Ajax man to the Albion website.
"He also said I could still talk a lot more to the players around me, given my experience. He wanted me to be more active on the pitch, communication-wise. He was straight to the point and I really liked that.
"When you have a coach with that kind of honesty, you know where you are, where you stand. I prefer people to be open and to put all their cards on the table."
The ultra-reliable Veltman joined Brighton for a bargain £900,000 in 2020 and has proved to be one of their best value signings in their Premier League era. The 28-cap Netherlands international now plays a bigger role in helping the younger players and the new signings integrate.
"I’m not the loudest of characters, to be honest. You have different leaders, right? James Milner, for instance, is always talking, always shouting, communicating, whereas Dunky is more low-key, he leads by example.
"Then you have someone like me, who’d rather speak to an individual, rather than in front of the whole group. But I 100 percent agree with the gaffer; I need to communicate more with the guys in front of me because if you do that, then you’re going to have less problems."