Manager not shocked by Brighton man’s rise – Can’t see him sticking with the Seagulls.
Bart Verbruggen’s rise at Brighton and Hove Albion should be a surprise to nobody and he is likely to keep moving up the ladder before too long.
That’s according to his former manager Gabor Babos, via Voetbal Primeur, who worked with the Brighton goalkeeper at NAC Breda and knew he was destined for the top then.
Verbruggen is now the undisputed number one at Brighton after a frustrating first year in which he was continually rotated with Jason Steele under Roberto de Zerbi.
He has also claimed the number one spot for the Netherlands, winning the battle with Brentford’s Mark Flekken to now be first choice for Ronald Koeman moving forwards.
He’s more than justified the status he has been given despite only being 22 years old, with several impressive performances for club and country under his belt this season alone.
His displays have not gone unnoticed, and several reports have already credited Bayern Munich with a potential interest should they start looking for Manuel Neuer’s long-term replacement in the near future.
Babos can certainly see such a move happening, admitting he knew the Brighton man was destined for the top from early on in his career.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all what Bart is showing now, because he was already a great talent at that age,” he said.
“He’s doing great at Brighton, and I expect it won’t stop there when you see that big clubs are already regularly linked to him.
“He has a fantastic future ahead of him. Bart is an all-round goalkeeper who master’s all facets of being a goalkeeper.”
