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'Brighton defender Joel Veltman is already planning the next steps of his career.
The 34-year-old full back is a key man for Fabian Hurzeler and has made six starts in all competitions so far this term.
Veltman is though out of contract this summer and his Albion future beyond that remains uncertain.
The right back joined Brighton from Ajax for £900k in 2020 and has made 169 appearances with four goals and seven assists.
He is an ultra-reliable presence for the Seagulls and a trusted performer for head coaches Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and now Hurzeler.
“At my age, it seems healthy to think about life after football,” he said to the Ajax website.
“I’m not necessarily going to say I want to be a head coach. For example, when I played for Ajax, I received specialist training from Jaap Stam.
“As a defender, I learned so much from that. Dennis Bergkamp did the same with the attackers back then. A role as a specialist coach seems like a good fit for me.
"That experience helps me as a player. I’ve started paying closer attention to the tactical side of the game. That really interests me."
Ajax return for Joel Veltman?
Veltman has often been linked with a return to Ajax and came close last summer, before agreeing a new one-year deal with Brighton.
“I still had a current contract. That expires next summer. Then it becomes a time for making choices. I still feel good here, but my contract runs out next summer. I want to finish it properly.
After that? It depends. What does Brighton want, and what do I want? For now, I can't complain about my minutes under our manager Fabian Hürzeler, and I couldn’t under Graham Potter or Roberto De Zerbi either."
"Do Brighton want to continue with me? Do I embark on another adventure abroad, or is that the time for a return to Ajax? I’ll think about it carefully.”
Veltman has missed the last two Premier League matches with a calf injury and his fitness will be assessed ahead Saturday's trip to face Manchester United at Old Trafford.
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