Ferdi Kadioglu says European qualification would be really big for Brighton | OneFootball

Ferdi Kadioglu heads into Brighton and Hove Albion’s European decider against Manchester United at the Amex Stadium buoyed by a player of the season award after recovering from a ruptured toe ligament.

“It means a lot to me. I had a difficult last year with a stupid toe injury. So, I am really happy with my comeback and that fans appreciate what I am doing on the pitch.” he told The Athletic.

He has featured in 36 of 37 league games, with 33 starts. Brighton’s 1-0 loss at Leeds, after Dominic Calvert-Lewin pounced on Jan Paul van Hecke’s underhit back pass, delayed qualification hopes.

“The first half was not great from our side, but we still had the better chances. But this can happen, this is football. We lost the game, but we all believe we can get a very good result on Sunday, and all of the players, with the fans, can, I think, make it a really nice end to the season.”

Signed for £25million from Fenerbahce, the versatile Türkiye international scored twice in his first eight matches before surgery curtailed his debut campaign, when Brighton finished eighth, four points off Europe. He is now a mainstay at left-back under Fabian Hurzeler.

“As a player, you want to reach as high as possible, and to play in Europe is a really big thing. It’s a really big thing for the club, for the fans to travel, to see other stadiums.”

Source: NY Times