Jan Paul van Hecke
CB
Netherlands26 years
Showing2026/27 seasonAll official competitions
Preferred Positions
Last 24 months · all competitions
CB
Centre-backMain
8,306 min · 96 apps · 91 starts
Squad importance
Current squad importance over the club’s last 40 recorded competitive games in this spell, including previous seasons. Starts and minutes contribute 70%; performance contributes 30%. Absences reduce the score gradually, with less weight when a player is outside the matchday squad.Current role at Tottenham · independent of the season filter
Star
Involvement90%
Performance53%
Through the match on 31 Oct 2026. Refreshed daily.
Profile
Career & playing style
Jan Paul van Hecke is a Dutch centre-back who can change an attack with the ball still at his feet. At Brighton, he looked for passes through midfield rather than simply circulating possession across the back line. When opponents held their shape, he could carry forward to open a new passing angle.
His route there was gradual. Brighton signed him from NAC Breda in September 2020, then sent him to Heerenveen for Dutch top-flight experience. A Championship loan at Blackburn Rovers followed in 2021/22. He became Blackburn's first loan player to win its Player of the Year award.
Van Hecke made his Brighton Premier League debut in 2022/23 and grew into a regular under Roberto De Zerbi the following season, which included Europa League football. In 2024/25 he won both Brighton's men's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season awards.
An October 2025 match against Newcastle showed the value of his passing. His ball through midfield found Georginio Rutter, whose next pass released Danny Welbeck for the opening goal. A centre-back had bypassed pressure and found a teammate able to attack the space beyond it.
His defending has a similarly active side. He steps towards duels, but his Brighton work also involved clearing crosses and blocking shots inside the box. He also added forward carries while playing in a high defensive line.
Tottenham announced his move from Brighton in June 2026, reuniting him with De Zerbi. Van Hecke described his strengths as playing forward between or behind the lines and defending aggressively. The combination explains his appeal: he can help a team advance possession while remaining ready to contest the ball when play turns.
He made his senior Netherlands debut against Germany in September 2024. At the 2026 World Cup he started against Sweden, scored a header against Tunisia and completed the round-of-32 game against Morocco. The Dutch won their group but went out to Morocco on penalties.
Latest stats & form
Jan Paul van Hecke currently plays for Tottenham as a centre-back. He has represented the Netherlands internationally.