The Argentinian suffered an ACL injury on his right knee while out on loan in Serie A side Chievo during the latter half of the 2018/19 campaign. The 30-year-old spoke openly about how much it meant to him to finally get back into competitive action out on the field.
He said, “I’m very emotional, I was out for seven months and it was a really tough time.
“I want to thank the head coach, my family, the supporters and everyone at the club for how they’ve been with me over the time that I’ve been out.
“It was a big day for me, the most important thing was of course that the team got the win, but now it is important for me to enjoy this feeling with my family and the people who are closest to me.”
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Pascal Gross had fired the hosts ahead, before the visitors replied with two goals to turn the match around. But Neal Maupay’s penalty ten minutes from the end and an own goal from Lucas Digne in stoppage time meant it was Graham Potter’s men who tasted victory on a memorable afternoon.
“Highs like today make up for having to go through the lows as a footballer,” he continued.
“In the week the gaffer prepared us in the best way possible to get something out of the match, because Everton are a tough side to face.
“It was a dramatic game - Neal handled the pressure really well and he’s been great for us so far, then to get the last minute winner in the way that we did in front of our home supporters made it fantastic.”
The Seagulls are next in action when they host Norwich City at the Amex this weekend, and Schelotto spoke about the importance of continuing the side’s recent good form on home soil.
“We have to build on this now, especially our home form after the win over Tottenham and these big three points.
“We have 12 points and now we have to turn our attention to another tough game this weekend against Norwich City.
“We’ll be working hard to get another good result, the mood in the dressing room is good and we have a lot of positives to work with at the moment.”