SOLLY March said “It was a nice feeling” hearing the crowd’s welcome when warming up yesterday against Nottingham Forest.
The winger made his first appearance for the Seagulls since last April after undergoing surgery on his knee, coming on as an 86th minute substitute in the 2-1 win.
March, a fan favourite at the AMEX having played 297 games for the Seagulls, was well received by the fans upon his return.
He said: “It’s a nice feeling (to hear the crowd cheering).
“I’ve been out for a long time so for them to keep treating me so well, it’s nice to hear and gives me a boost and a lift.”
March had returned at the start of 2024 from another time on the sidelines through his knee injury, which kept him out for over a year, but only made one start before requiring more time to repair the damage.
He told us: “It is draining having to do the same things again over and over.
“It’s (my body) in a much better place now, I can train without any issues, so hopefully I’m in a better place for the future.
“I’ve been doing 11v11 matches in training for weeks now and I felt good and responded well, so hopefully I can keep going and going.
“When we play matches in training it’s really hard and intense, so I think it replicates games.”
March travelled to last week’s win at Brentford last week but was not deemed fit enough to make the squad.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the game, Albion boss Hurzeler said “I just spoke with my (club) owner (Tony Bloom) about Solly March and he said before his injury he was one of the best players in the Premier League.
“His left foot is just outstanding, it’s special for the Premier League.
“He is Brighton, He is here for such a long time and he really wants to help the club.”
