After 19 years at Ajax, defender Joel Veltman heads to Brighton

After a career at Amsterdam football club Ajax spanning 19 years, defender Joel Veltman is heading to English club Brighton & Hove Albion on a three year contract.

Veltman, who will wear shirt number 34 in honour of former team mate Abdelhak Nouri, had one year remaining on his Ajax contract and is thought to have changed hands for around €1m.

‘It is time for me to go,’ Veltman, 28, said on the Ajax website. ‘I want to have new experiences abroad and I am keen to start in Brighton.’


Veltman joined Ajax as a junior in 2001 and played his first match for the top team in 2012. With 21 caps to his name, he has turned out 246 times for the Amsterdammers, scoring 10 times.

According to football website Voetbal Primeur, other clubs were also interested in Veltman but he opted for Brighton because he wanted to play in the Premier League.

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