I signed for Arsenal from Brighton and had to apologise to supporters for what I said about club

A former Arsenal player was criticised by his own supporters after joining from Brighton

Goalkeeper Mat Ryan apologised to Brighton fans for what he said about his former club shortly after joining Arsenal on loan. The Australia international made the switch to the Gunners in January 2021 after being dropped by the Seagulls.

The seasoned keeper had been Brighton's first choice in the Premier League for over three years. His tenure as the main man between the sticks came to a sudden halt in December 2020 when manager Graham Potter started favouring Robert Sanchez.

Upon being informed that he was free to consider other options in the January transfer window, Ryan signed with Arsenal to provide cover for Bernd Leno. However, less than a month later, the goalkeeper strained his relationship with Brighton supporters by sharing his reasons for leaving the club.

"I had in my mind a little bit of a plan that I wanted to play a couple of seasons at Brighton and try and do well and hopefully be bought by a bigger club and keep progressing in my career," he told Optus Sport. "Perhaps it didn't work out in the way of playing two, three seasons and then being bought for a fee as. No.1 and going and playing.

"But one way or another I've obviously ended up in a massive step up from Brighton and to another level of football."

Ryan, whose Brighton deal was due to expire in 2022, sparked fury among the Seagulls faithful after labelling his move to become Arsenal's backup goalkeeper as a "massive step up". Following backlash after his remarks were highlighted by the TalkSeagulls Instagram account, Ryan replied with a heartfelt apology to supporters.

He wrote: "Hey mate, it's been brought to my attention that there's been a few people who've been upset/disappointed with some comments I've made in this interview and I want to apologise to anyone who has felt I've been disrespectful towards the club, this was not and never will be my intention.

"I recognise how people could have interpreted that through those comments and moving forward I'll be sure to pay extra attention as to how I refer to the club to not have the same outcome.

"The club will always have a special place in my heart as I said and I've got nothing but fond memories and wish all the best to you all for the remainder of the season and I'll always continue to support the club because of our experiences together."

Ryan played 123 times for Brighton, surpassing his tally at any previous club. His Arsenal debut came in February 2021, deputising for Leno in a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

The Brighton loanee would feature twice more before his time at Arsenal came to an end. Though a permanent switch to the Gunners never materialised, Ryan secured a move to Real Sociedad that summer.

The 33-year-old has since had stints at Copenhagen, AZ Alkmaar, Roma and Lens. He is currently playing for Levante, who sit bottom of La Liga.

Ryan's former teams Arsenal and Brighton are due to clash in the Premier League this weekend. The Gunners host the Seagulls as Mikel Arteta's side aim to stay top of the table with a win.