After arriving at the club at the start of last season, De Zerbi has changed the way Brighton plays. They are arguably one of the best attacking sides in the whole of Premier League.
Follow Us
It goes without saying that Roberto De Zerbi is one of the most talented coaches in European football. What he has achieved at Brighton & Hove Albion is no easy feat. After arriving at the club at the start of last season, De Zerbi has changed the way Brighton plays. They are arguably one of the best attacking sides in the whole of the Premier League. That bravery is largely due to Brighton playing fearless football from the back.
This type of football requires the correct profile of goalkeeper, something Brighton have managed this summer with the signing of talented young Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. First-team goalkeeping coach Jack Stern has explained why 21-year-old Verbruggen is the perfect goalkeeper for Roberto De Zerbi. “We had to build a profile of what a Roberto De Zerbi keeper looks like, a keeper who can perform that role but also who can maintain their position for us for a number of years, so it was a big, big project,” Stern was quoted as saying on the club’s website.
He added: “There were in the region of 100 keepers we initially had our eyes on, and Bart was one of the very few who fitted our profile and the only one who fitted that profile exactly. We weren’t the only club who wanted him but we were really happy to get the deal over the line because he suits our style so well. He’s not just a ball-playing keeper; he comes for crosses, he is a good shot stopper, and he is improving all the time. He’s only young but he’s got all the attributes to become the full package eventually.”
The goalkeeping coach also spoke about his delight in seeing Verbruggen make his debut for the Netherlands not long ago. “I went out for the game against France in Amsterdam and he had an excellent debut against, arguably, the best team in world football at the moment. He also kept a clean sheet in the next game, a [EURO 2024] qualifier in Greece, a game the Dutch really needed to win to keep their automatic qualification hopes alive. I was delighted to see him keep a clean sheet that night, so hopefully a place in their team can be a real target for him in 2024. Having spoken to the Dutch goalkeeping coach, I know they rate him highly, which will certainly be good for his confidence moving forward,” he explained.
Stern then shifted his attention to the other goalkeeper Jason Steele. He spoke about how Steele grew from being a backup keeper to being an important player for De Zerbi. “He’s been fantastic, I can’t speak highly enough of him. I feel a really close connection with Steeley because our careers have followed a similar path at the club. When I first came here, I was the assistant goalkeeper coach and Steeley was very much the back-up keeper, but we’ve both been on a journey together since Roberto arrived,” he explained.
He further added: “I’m really proud of him; how he’s adapted and how he’s thrived under Roberto. When we talk about Bart’s arrival, it was also important to consider that we already had someone in the building who was ready to play games and thrive in the Premier League as well. Steeley is a fantastic example to all the keepers at the club and it’s exciting for a coach to work with him, Bart and Tom [McGill] on a daily basis.”
More Football Stories:
Wataru Endo news: Why did the Japanese midfielder decide to join Liverpool in the summer?
Manchester United news: How can the Red Devils turn their season around? Scott McTominay responds
Premier League: Which players have scored the most goals in a single season?
EPL stats: Which clubs have conceded the most last-minute winners in Premier League?
EPL stats: Which clubs have scored the most number of last-minute winners in Premier League?
How long will Kevin De Bruyne be out injured? Pep Guardiola responds
