The 23-year-old says she feels right at home with the club, and vindicated in making the switch from Bristol City.
She said, “It’s been a very good year for me on a personal level, in terms of what happened with the national team and my move to Brighton.
“I think it’s one of the best years I’ve had so far. When I came here in the summer, I knew this is where I could improve as a player.
“You always struggle at the beginning because it’s not your home and you need to find a way to make it feel like your home. The girls and the club have helped me massively in that case.
“Halfway through the season, I can say that this is where I want to be and where I can call home.”
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Manchester City are Albion’s next opponents this afternoon, and Kerkdijk highlighted the importance of focusing on their own game instead of City’s strengths as a side.
“You need to be up for it in every game because you know you can get three points. It’s going to be tough, but it’s not impossible to get a result there.
“We are only in our second year in this league, so we’ve still got a big future ahead. Manchester City has been near the top for a while, but I will not say we cannot beat them.
“If we turn up on our day and do everything we can to the best of our ability, then we can definitely beat them.
“We had good results against bigger teams in the past, and the most important thing is to not look too much at what they can do.
“They have good strikers, good midfielders and defenders, but we have a good team as well. We know they have a lot of qualities, but we have to show them that we’re in the same league as them by right.”
The Netherlands international spoke about having to bide her time to a get a consistent run in the team, but says she likes having to fight for a place in the side.
“You want to play every game, but you’re in the top flight and in a difficult league. Sometimes the coach will make changes and sometimes it’s me that comes out of the team.
“If you’re on the bench one week, then you need to work harder to show the manager that you need to be picked next time.
“It can knock your confidence sometimes, but I’m used to these little changes in my career. You have to prove that you’re better than the player playing in your position. It’s good to have that though, because it keeps you on top of everything.”