Joel Veltman confirmed he will be at Brighton and Hove Albion next season.
The experienced Dutch defender has been excellent for Fabian Hurzeler’s team this season with 22 appearances and two assists in all competitions.
Veltman was out-of-contract at the end of the season but there was an option for a further year – which seems to have been agreed by both parties.
“I can extend another year,” said Veltman to Brighton fans on a ‘meet the players’ live event on Zoom.
“I can confirm right now, this moment.” Asked by the event’s host, Glenn Murray, if he could see out his career at Brighton, Veltman added: “I will leave my options open.
“I love it here I have been here five years and still love it. You never know in football but I’m happy here so, yeah maybe.”
A club source confirmed to Sussex World that Veltman triggered the one-year extension.
The 33-year-old is currently sidelined with a foot and ankle injury and has missed Brighton’s last three matches.
Veltman will hope to be available to face Fulham this Saturday for a Premier League clash at the Amex Stadium.
Speaking earlier this season, Hurzeler said: “He’s one of the most underestimated players in the league. He knows what to do to win games.
“He knows how to be positioned to win personal duels. He knows how to give the team a clear structure, and a good balance, and I think that’s crucial for a team like us.
“He brings us the right balance with his experience, with his age also, and that’s why he’s so important for us at the moment.”
Veltman joined Brighton from Ajax in 2020 for a bargain £900,000. He has made 161 appearances in total for the Seagulls with four goals and six assists.
‘I can confirm right now’ – Brighton star makes summer contract admission to fans at live event
