Brighton and Hove Albion star Jan Paul van Hecke has labelled his time at the club as “a wonderful story” so far, despite earlier frustrations at the club.
The defender has been speaking to Omroep Zeeland in his homeland about his situation with the Seagulls as he continues to rise up the ranks at the club.
The centre-back has been with Brighton since joining them from NAC Breda in 2020 and initially spent his first two years are the club out on loan, first with Heerenveen and then Blackburn Rovers.
He was brought back into the Brighton squad in 2022 and played a bit-part role in the 2022/23 season under Graham Potter and then Roberto de Zerbi.
This season, though, has seen a considerable step up for him and he’s already made 16 appearances in the Premier League, featuring in 68% of the available minutes as well as playing regularly in the Europa League and English cup competitions.
He appears to be following a clear path laid out for him by Brighton, something he is delighted with, having previously been frustrated by a lack of opportunities.
“When I arrived, Brighton had mapped out a path on how they envisioned me,” he said.
“A lot of clubs do it that way, the only difference is that Brighton actually had examples of players where it was successful.
“That was a difficult period. I had the feeling that I was ready, but I didn’t get the chance to show it.
“I knew: if I ever play, I have to prove myself immediately. All in all, it has become a wonderful story.
“The club always manages to go one step higher and so do I. I think it can continue like this for a while.
“Last season when I didn’t play much, I wasn’t always the happiest at home. Fortunately, now things are very different for my girlfriend.”
