Brighton & Hove Albion striker Florin Andone was delighted to seize his chance in the team, as his first goal for the club secured a crucial 2-1 victory over Huddersfield Town this evening.
The Romanian brilliantly nodded home Solly March’s cross in the 69th minute to secure all three points in Yorkshire, and he expressed his gratitude to the manager for naming him in the starting line-up for a Premier League game for the first time.
He said, “I’m very happy and thankful to the manager for this opportunity. It’s my first start and I am very happy with the victory, which is the most important thing.
“I am very happy with the goal because I had an injury when I was with the club and I waited a long time for my opportunity.
“I worked hard and I’ve managed to take it. It’s my first goal and I would like to improve my level and be in a good way in the future.”
The game kicks off a hectic festive period for the Seagulls, and Andone is heading into the remainder of the month with confidence.
“Any goal you score is important, and this will give me confidence as a striker. It was a difficult game as they were right back in the defence and we didn’t have a lot of spaces, but the result is so important.
“We’ve got 18 points now and we can think about the next two games. We know this month is very important because we’ve got eight games and we’ve won one of them. Now we’re thinking about the next seven.”
The Seagulls frontman assessed the quality of both the Premier League and La Liga as a whole, and explained he is still adjusting to the level required in the English top flight.
“The Premier League and La Liga are the best two competitions in the world in my opinion.
“I don’t understand the level of the Premier League properly yet because I’ve only played about 120 minutes and it’s a very short time for me.
“The most important thing is the result and the three points, which is crucial for our confidence.”