“I’m very pleased,” he said in his post-match interview. “For me the last couple of years have been difficult. I haven’t played as much as I would like. I left Stoke at a time in my career where I was struggling a little bit confidence wise, and I lost a little bit of that.
“It took me a while to deal with that, to swallow it. Coming to Palace has been a breath of fresh air for me: a new start, and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve had to be patient, so to have a night like tonight is rewarding.
“But it’s a reminder for me that I can do that and I’m capable. I’ve been doing it in training, and nights like tonight are a reminder of what you can do.
“There’s still things to pick up on in my game, and there’s still things to work on. It’s harder to come in and be tidy and be clean when you’ve not had a run of games. Opportunities come in different shapes and sizes, and I’m just happy I’ve got them.”
Despite Butland’s penalty save and Conor Gallagher’s second-half opener, Palace couldn’t hold on for all three points as Brighton equalised late on.
“At times, they had the main share of the ball and were causing a few issues,” Butland reflected on the game. “I felt we defended well in the most. To conceded a goal like that – an own goal, a scruffy one – when we held on for so long and defended brilliantly, it feels more like a loss.
“But in the grand scheme of things, it’s a good point. I certainly felt the confidence in the boys. Towards the end, we were starting to tire a little bit.
“I think we’ve shown great character this season. We’ve got that. We could have [held on], but they pressed, put the pressure on us and scored.”