Tottenham defender Jan Paul van Hecke has explained that manager Roberto De Zerbi targeted him specifically this summer, believing he needed a player like him in his team.
The 26-year-old joined Tottenham in a €60m deal from Brighton in the summer as a part of Spurs’ big summer rebuild.
He’s since established himself as a key player in De Zerbi’s plans. He’s started every Premier League game to date and is even Tottenham’s top goalscorer with two goals to his name.
De Zerbi knew what he was getting with the Dutch defender. The pair had previously worked together at Brighton, with Van Hecke making 50 appearances in all competitions under the Italian.
He’s now central to his plans for Spurs. Against Leeds United, for example, the defender completed more passes than any other player on the pitch – 143.
What De Zerbi was thinking
De Zerbi clearly had a plan and knew what he was getting from the centre-back.
“That’s partly down to the style of football our manager, Roberto De Zerbi, wants us to play,” Van Hecke said about those numbers.
“He emphasises total dominance, which naturally leads to the central defenders having a lot of touches on the ball.
“I knew that before I joined, of course, he felt I was the right player for that role. I really enjoy his style of play; it’s also something I believe I’m quite good at.”
His strong performances last month earned the defender a Player of the Month nomination. He’s pleased to be acknowledged but is more focused on the team.
“It’s always nice to be appreciated,” he added.
“But it meant more to me that we started winning again. That was what mattered. Being nominated is certainly nice on a personal level, but I was happier about the results.”
Not everything has been perfect
It’s not been all rosy at Tottenham to date, of course. A slow start to the season had Robert de Zerbi’s side sitting at the wrong end of the table.
They went six games without a win to start the campaign, finally breaking that duck with a 3-1 win over Coventry City last month.
That led to plenty of criticism, particularly after such a big spend in the summer. Van Hecke, though, was not concerned by that.
“I play for Tottenham Hotspur, a major club in England,” he concluded.
“That’s what I wanted, and I’m loving it. When you play at this level, you’re going to face criticism, sometimes positive, sometimes negative.
“To be honest, it doesn’t really bother me much. Besides, if you’re playing for Spurs and the Dutch national team, you must be doing something right, don’t you think?”
