Former Ajax midfielder Jan van Halst has conceded that the Dutch champions are going to miss Joel Veltman, who has joined Brighton & Hove Albion.
Brighton signed the 28-year-old centre-back on a three-year deal by triggering a release clause in his contract, paying Ajax just over £900,000.
A product of the Ajax academy, the Dutchman made 246 appearances for the club and won three Dutch league titles before ending his close to two-decade association with the Dutch champions.
Van Halst believes joining Brighton is a good move for the player, but conceded that Ajax will miss Veltman and his ability to slot into multiple positions whenever the team needed him.
The former midfielder also believes Veltman returned as a better player following a serious injury and managed to get rid of some of the bad habits in his game that stopped him from reaching the next level.
Van Halst told Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport when asked what he feels about Veltman joining Brighton: “I like it for him.
“Ajax are going to miss him, I think. If there was a hole in the team that needed to be filled, he did.
“After a serious injury, he came back well, better than before his injury. If he got a yellow card, you were almost sure that he would get a second, but he got rid of it.
“They are going to miss him.”
Graham Potter will have more defensive options in his Brighton squad with the arrival of Veltman and the return of Ben White from his loan at Leeds.
