Ex-Brighton player lifts lid on exit after injury-hit four years
Former Brighton midfielder Jakub Moder said he spoke to Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer before sealing his January move to Feyenoord.
Moder struggled to make an impact on Fabian Hurzeler’s first team this season and moved to the Eredivisie club for a reported fee of just over £1m.
The Poland international signed for Brighton from Lech Poznań in 2020 for around £7m and made 71 appearances for the Seagulls in total.
His time at at the Amex was dominated by a serious knee injury sustained in April 2022 in a 0-0 draw against Norwich City. Moder missed the remainder of that season, the 2022 World Cup and the entire 2022-23 campaign.
He eventually returned in November 2023 but never established himself as a regular in the team. Moder almost joined Leicester in 2024 as Brighton tried to sign their midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The deal collapsed, Dewsbury-Hall went to Chelsea and Moder remained at Brighton.
The Seagulls then embarked on a huge spending spree that saw the likes of Matt O’Riley, Matts Weiffer, Ferdi Kadioglu and Georginio Rutter arrive. On top of that, Jack Hinshelwood and Yasin Ayari both emerged as regulars this term.
With his contract ticking down, Feyenoord came calling in January and it was a deal that seemed to suit all parties.
Moder, 26, spoke to Albion’s former Feyenoord players Weiffer and Minteh and the decision was made.
Moder: I had to go and play
“I was unable to play football for nineteen months due to a serious cruciate ligament injury and then it is difficult to get playing time,” said Moder to Voetbal International.
“Brighton & Hove Albion developed enormously during my absence.”
“I had to go and play. There were a number of other options, also in England and in other countries, but Feyenoord sounded as if it was meant to be.
“I knew Feyenoord, because my friend Sebastian Szymanski played there for a year. I called him straight away. To be completely sure I asked Mats (Wieffer) and Yankuba (Minteh), my teammates at Brighton. They told me what I knew deep down; Feyenoord would be the perfect move.”
Moder has made eight starts in the Eredivisie and four in the Champions League. His impact at Feyenoord since arriving from Brighton has impressed manager Robin van Persie.
“I didn’t play that much at my previous club but I was fit,” Moder explained. “Then it’s a matter of getting into rhythm. Rhythm is the magic word for every player.
Feyenoord had to deal with a number of injuries, so I had to get started right away. First Ajax away, then to PSV for the cup. Not my best matches, but they were valuable to me.
“With two top games in your legs, things go quickly, because then the confidence of the coach and your fellow players comes into play.
“Now I dare say that I am approaching my best level. It can and must be better, but I am on my way.”
