Brighton and Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke has admitted he’s kept a close eye on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk to learn from him and other stars in the Netherlands squad.
The defender has been speaking to De Telegraaf after being handed his first cap by Ronald Koeman earlier this week.
The Brighton man had seemed destined to be an unused substitute during this international break after being included in the squad for the games against Bosnia and Germany.
Instead, he found himself thrown in the deep end after sitting on the bench against Bosnia, with Koeman electing to bring him on at half time in the 2-2 draw with Germany.
He managed to make a positive impression, particularly after Mathijs de Ligt’s unimpressive display in the first half of that game and, being a debutant, was naturally the focus of attention for the media afterwards.
De Telegraaf was one of those he spoke to, and he admitted it was a big moment for him, particularly after he lost his long-term supporter, his father, who had predicted a debut this year.
“Unfortunately, my father passed away two years ago. I’m sure he would have been very proud. I am too and also for him,” he said.
“Six years ago, I wouldn’t have thought that I would ever end up at the Dutch team. But at some point, you see yourself getting better and better. For other people it is as if you are suddenly making very big steps, but for yourself you get better by continuing to take small steps.
“Last season at Brighton I had the feeling that if I continued like this, the Dutch national team could come. Now is that day and I am happy and proud.”
Van Hecke’s pathway certainly has been one made up of small steps so far, starting out in the Netherlands with JVOZ U19 before moves to VV Goes and then NEC Breda.
He worked his way up the latter before Brighton signed him for €2m in 2020 but even that proved to be a small step as he spent the next few years on loan at Heerenveen and Blackburn.
He returned to Brighton in 2022 and was given his chance to impress by then manager Roberto de Zerbi and is now a first-team regular under Fabian Hürzeler.
De Telegraaf put it to him that such a path was similar to the one taken by Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Van Hecke admitted he’d been keeping a close eye on him, particularly this week.
“That’s a great player. That makes it easier when you’re next to him,” he added.
“Then you also seem like a better player. I also used this week to take a good look at big players and learn something from them and take them with me.
“When you step onto the field you think about it (the journey) for a moment, but then it’s over immediately and you start playing football. That is actually the same as for the boy from VV GOES or VV Arnemuiden. It’s a different level, but it’s still the same game.”
