Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler is delighted with his striker Danny Welbeckplaceholder image
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler is delighted with his striker Danny Welbeck | Getty Images
Crystal Palace vs Brighton in the Premier League from Selhurst Park - Sunday, 2pm
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said he would not swap Danny Wlebeck for any player in the world ahead of Sunday’s showdown with old rivals Crystal Palace.
Welbeck, 34, is is great form this season and his goal in the last Saturday’s 3-0 win against Leeds United took his tally to six for season.
The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker is widely expected to be called-up for Thomas Tuchel’s England squad tomorrow, which will be a huge boost for the striker ahead of the clash at Selhurst Park.
Palace also have a striker in form as their lethal Frenchman Jean-Philippe Mateta has six goals to his name this term. Mateta scored against Brighton last season as Palace beat Hurzeler’s men 2-1 in South London.
So who would Hurzeler prefer leading the line for Brighton, Welbeck or Mateta?
“I wouldn't swap Danny for any player in the world,” was the emphatic response.
Quite a bold statement, especially if you throw in Harry Kane, Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappé but it was a fun answer to a tongue-in-cheek question.
Hurzeler added: “Because of course the media, they always try to reward him for the goals, and that's in the end very important.
“But I try to judge him by his personality, how important he is for us as a player, as a person.
“Like I always try to emphasise, he's a great connector beside the pitch, he's a great leader beside the pitch, he's a great role model.
“So that's why we are very pleased that he's here, and I think he's in outstanding shape.
“So to answer your question, no, I wouldn't change.”
Zamora has a big impact on Welbeck
Hurzeler also gave praise to his attacking coach Bobby Zamora - currently recovering from a hip operation - who works closely with Welbeck in training.
“First of all, Bobby had a surgery, so we wish him all the best, a good recovery.
“The thing I can say about this relationship [with Welbeck] is that it's quite intense. They have a lot of exchange, they do a lot of finishing together when they're outside on the pitch.
“They have a lot of talks, they have a very trustful relationship, so I think that Bobby definitely also plays a big part in this development and has a big impact on how he's performing at the moment.”
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