Verheydt delighted to get off the mark after long injury lay-off

Crawley Town striker Thomas Verheydt hopes his long-awaited first competitive goal for the club will be the first of many after their hard-fought 1-1 draw with Forest Green Rovers.
Thomas Verheydt. Picture by PW Sporting Photography SUS-170830-144418001Thomas Verheydt. Picture by PW Sporting Photography SUS-170830-144418001
Thomas Verheydt. Picture by PW Sporting Photography SUS-170830-144418001

Crawley, the lowest scorers in the league, fell behind after 67 minutes but Verheydt, returning after a two month lay-off, headed in a deserved equaliser just over 10 minutes later.

The former MVV Maastricht striker, whose goal was his side’s first in the league for 512 minutes, believes the Reds can settle for a point but need to build on a much-improved second half performance.

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He said: “The goal was a good feeling for me but the main thing we wanted was the three points, especially at home.

“It’s only one point, both teams had chances to win so I can live with one-point.

“I was not happy with the first half, it was terrible.

“The second half was okay and we worked together, had chances and got the goal.

“It’s our job to build on the second half and I want to score some more goals.

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“We’re getting closer, the defence is good but the strikers and midfielders need to score more goals to win us games.

“When you win three times in a row, you are in a much better position in the table but we need some more luck and with the faith and support we can push forward.”

Verheydt admitted that he is still not yet 100% fit but is working hard every day to re-pay the faith shown in him by manager Harry Kewell.

He added: “It’s always frustrating being injured.

“I worked hard every day to come back, and I’m not yet 100% fit but I come closer every day.

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“I’m always positive, I always want to win whether I’m playing or am on the bench.

“There’s been pressure on me to score goals which is normal, and today I scored my first.

“I’ve had a difficult start, but I now feel fine and want to score more goals.

“I want to fight for the manager and when I score it’s nice for him as well as the whole club.

“It’s a pleasure to work with him, he always has my back and I want to score and work hard for him.”

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