Club news

Crofts: I can't stop smiling

New Brighton & Hove Albion under-23 player-coach Andrew Crofts admits that he ‘cannot stop smiling' after re-joining the club for a third spell.

By James Hilsum • 27 July 2019

By Paul Hazlewood

Crofts says the chance to return to Albion was simply too good to turn down, and expressed his gratitude to Yeovil Town for allowing him to make the move.

He said, “Words can’t express how proud I am to be back. I’m absolutely buzzing and I haven’t stopped smiling since I found out.

“Everyone knows my affiliation with the club. I had some great times here, made some brilliant relationships, and always wanted to come back.

“When this opportunity came up, I had to grab it with both hands. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind because I signed for Yeovil as a player-coach, and I was only there for a couple of days.

“I had a call that Rosy [Liam Rosenior] was going to Derby and that this role had become available. As soon as it came up, I was so happy.

“I had to let Yeovil know, and that was hard, but they were great and understood how good an opportunity it was to come back to Brighton and be closer to my family.”

The 35-year-old is now looking forward to being part of Simon Rusk’s squad, and is relishing the prospect of working at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre on a daily basis.

“My time playing first-team football is over, but at the same time, I’ll be able to play a few games as an overage player for the under-23s and help them out on the pitch.

“It’s about making that transition, which I knew was coming. I always loved mentoring young players and it’s something which gives me a lot of satisfaction. It’s a chapter closed as a first-team player, but I've opened another one.”

Crofts also highlighted the importance of having former players back in coaching the team, and how it can only help to bring through the next generation of young players.

“Credit goes to the board for realising how important that is, and there’s now a blueprint of ex-players here who know what it means to play for this club.

“You look at Sidders [Steve Sidwell], Bruno and Rosy before he went to Derby, and they’re good people you want at the club.