Jan Paul van Hecke
BrightonCB
Back Line Anchor
Jun 8, 2000 (26)
Right
6'2"
174 lb
Ranking
Grades
Key Grades
This season
Overall Grades by game
This season
Matches
News
Completes Spurs move
Van Hecke has completed a permanent transfer from Brighton to Tottenham on Thursday.
Analysis: Terms of the deal were not reported, but van Hecke will strengthen a defensive line that could experience significant changes in the coming weeks. Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven have been linked with moves away from the club, and the Spurs have reacted by signing both van Hecke and Marcos Senesi. Van Hecke is representing the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and should be a regular starter for the Spurs in the 2026/27 campaign. He recorded 189 clearances, 53 tackles and 47 interceptions across 36 appearances in the 2025/26 EPL campaign with the Seagulls.
Reliable at heart of defense
van Hecke had one shot (one on goal) in Sunday's 2-2 draw versus Japan.
Analysis: van Hecke started alongside Virgil van Dijk in the Netherlands' central defensive pairing in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Japan, registering one shot on target from a second-half corner as his side pushed to extend the lead, while contributing one interception and multiple aerial duel wins across 90 minutes against a Japan side that relied heavily on counter-attacks and set-pieces. The Brighton centre-back was composed in his positioning and provided a reliable defensive partnership alongside Van Dijk for the majority of the match, but was unable to prevent the chaos on Daichi Kamada's 89th-minute header that left the entire Dutch backline frozen. His composure on the ball and ability to read dangerous transitions make him a reliable starter for the Netherlands, and improving collective set-piece defending will be the key area to address before the next Group F fixture.
Explore more players
Gabriel
ARS• #6• CB
Virgil van Dijk
LIV• #4• CB
Marc Guéhi
MCI• #15• CB
Neco Williams
NFO• #3• LBSelect Player
Search and select a player to compare