Interviews

Veltman: My goal was good, but Pascal's was better!

Defender netted first of the season in 3-1 victory over West Ham.

By Luke Nicoli • 22 May 2022

By Bennett Dean
Joel Veltman fired in our equaliser five minutes after the restart.

Joel Veltman was delighted to maintain his one goal a season record in an Albion shirt with his fine strike in the final game of the campaign against West Ham on Sunday.

The Seagulls were trailing 1-0 at the break, thanks to a Michail Antonio goal, but Graham Potter replaced Yves Bissouma with Neal Maupay and the response was emphatic.

Veltman netted his first of the season just five minutes after the restart, while a super goal from Pascal Gross and late header from Danny Welbeck secured the victory and a ninth-placed finish.

“I think we did great,” said the Dutchman. “In the first half we were struggling and suffering most of the time, but the second half was totally ours and we deserved the win in the end.

“At the end of the first half we changed system because they did great defensively with a good block, playing with two ‘sixes’ and the two ‘tens’, which meant we couldn’t pass through the lines, but in the second half the spaces were bigger in our favour and we did well.”

Veltman netted only his second goal for the Albion with a low drive, but he felt Gross’s 80th-minute shot on the turn was the headline-stealer on the day.

“Last season I scored one, so I needed to score today for my average!” he laughed. “I think it was Solly [March] who was just inside the box and I came up. He did a flick backwards and I just hit it.

"My goal last season was my first so I remember it well, but this one was more special.

“Pascal’s goal, though, was unbelievable. I don’t know how he did it. He shot on goal and nobody believed it, but he trusted in his left foot and he did great.”

The three points secured Albion’s highest finish and biggest points tally as a Premier League side and the Dutchman was naturally delighted with the way the season panned out.

“If you look at the table we did great. We were struggling last year with 41 points but now we have ten more. We can be proud.”