Brighton & Hove Albion defender Bruno stressed that the side would need to be well-prepared for next season’s Premier League campaign because it will be more challenging than the first.
The defender insisted that the team had evolved over the course of the campaign and he believes that the side will have to be ready for another big campaign when the new season kicks off in August.
He said, “Now it’s time to rest – we have a few months to have some time off and then I think next season will be an even bigger challenge than this season.
“I feel like we’ve learnt a lot over the season and at the end of this campaign we’re a much different side to the one that faced Manchester City at the Amex Stadium back in August.
“We’ve proved we can play at this level and beat any team, but next season we’re going to need to raise the standards again.”
The long-serving Spaniard was keen to praise the supporters, Chris Hughton and the side as a whole as he reflected on the 2017/18 season, insisting that everyone deserved credit for a memorable year in England’s top flight.
“The fans have been fantastic this season – they’re always behind us and it’s so important because you feel it on the pitch.
“They’ve been great home and away and we’re so thankful to them. I know next season they’ll be there with us at every game again.
“The manager has also been great season, because at the start of the campaign he had a big challenge in front of him.
“It was a new league for most of us, and the way we’ve achieved our aim is brilliant. The way we’ve done it is brilliant because we performed very well against some big teams, and that’s what’s seen us safe.
“Some of the results towards the end of the season against the top teams show and say a lot about the management team because they have been fantastic as well.”
Premier League survival was secured with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at the Amex Stadium on Friday 4th May, a historic night on the south coast.
Bruno revealed that the evening was his stand-out moment of Albion’s first campaign at this level, as he looked back on the game at the start of this month with fond memories.
“My highlight of the season was the Manchester United game a few weeks ago because it was a really special night.
“We performed superbly in our last Premier League game of the season at the Amex to stay in the division, so it was perfect.
“We had already had two good results against Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, so to then win a game against a big side in the run in with everything that was at stake was crucial for us and so it stands out the most for me.”