The Dutchman is now 32 and impressing under manager Fabian Hurzeler.
He told the club's website: "I think I am. Some players are in the first XI at top clubs at maybe 21 or 22, whereas when I first came to Brighton, I was still learning. At the age of 30, I was like, okay, now I probably understand the game more and that’s continued into my early thirties.
"I’m smarter on the pitch than I was, in terms of game management and what the game is asking from me as a right-back – getting up and down the pitch, for instance."
On Brighton under Hurzeler, he added: "We feel we should have had more points from the home games against Forest and Ipswich, but we are where we are – they say the table doesn’t lie.
"Overall, we have to be positive; we are in a good position, but the fact that we all feel we should be higher is a great mindset to have. While there has been frustration at times, we have also picked up good points against Manchester United and Arsenal, so we need to be positive about the season so far.
"We’ve set the bar high, and we have to keep reaching those levels."