Why Jan Paul van Hecke Is Vital for the Netherlands’ World Cup Aspirations
It’s very telling about the trajectory Dutch football has taken over the last two decades that its defence is its strong point right now. Few sides have had as strong a portfolio of defenders as the Dutch over the last three tournaments, which is a far cry from the Netherlands’ wonderful attacking teams of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, and their back-line is now seen as their greatest hope.
Led by Virgil van Dijk, one of the world’s most consistent defenders over the past 10 years, and having seen many progress such as Stefan de Vrij, Matthijs de Ligt, Mickey van der Ven, Jurrien Timber and more, the Dutch carousel of impressive centre-halves is continuing with Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke. The 26-year-old is entering his first World Cup on the back of a fantastic season with the Seagulls where he featured in nearly every game, and could end the summer by becoming one of the most expensive defenders ever.
Football was in his blood, and the World Cup seemed like a place he was destined to be. In 1978, his uncle Jan Poortvliet, also a defender, was part of the Dutch side that reached the final of the tournament in Argentina. Now, Van Hecke will hope to do the unlikely and do one better by bringing a first World Cup title back to the Netherlands.
Raised in the tiny city of Arnemuiden, which has about 5,000 residents, Van Hecke started his career with their local side of the same name. He then went on to the academy of VV Goes, before getting his first big move to NAC Breda, then in the Dutch second division, in 2019.
The defender’s impressive ball carrying and passing was catching the eye of many around the Netherlands – with some even suggesting that one of the big three of Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord might snap him up – but it was the south coast of England that he would call home, as Brighton signed him in 2020. It took just one season of senior football for Brighton to be impressed, and keen to help him continue developing, they agreed a loan with Heerenveen to keep in the Netherlands, for a season, where he did fantastically.
Returning to England, another loan was agreed, this time to Championship side Blackburn Rovers, giving Van Hecke his first proper taste of English football, and the defender took the opportunity well, being named the club’s Player of the Season in the 2021-22 campaign, with the side in contention for promotion during the first half of the campaign.
The rise was quick. In the space of a few years, Van Hecke had impressed plenty and Brighton were ready to give him a chance, but opportunities were limited with Levi Colwill and Adam Webster ahead of him in the pecking order. There were doubts over his physicality and how his qualities on the ball could best be used, limiting his time on the pitch but once the 2023-24 season came around, he became one of the Premier League’s most improved players.
That season, the Arnemuiden-native established himself as a mainstay in the Brighton side under Roberto De Zerbi. He regularly played after the midway point of the season, and became a tough defender to beat, adapting to the physical needs of the side and bringing a sense of calm and composure that was desperately needed at the back.
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De Zerbi, in 2024: “I think the most important quality of JP is the balance between arrogance and confidence in himself. He is not arrogant but his confidence in himself is high, high, high. It is his secret to keep this level because he has an incredible personality, shows incredible leadership and he is so young. It’s not common to see one young player with that level of personality.”
He made a late call to be in the Dutch side for Euro 2024 but manager Ronald Koeman chose other options as the Netherlands reached the semi-finals. It wasn’t long after that tournament that Van Hecke would make his debut for the national side, and he’s been hard to ignore since, going on to form a fine partnership with captain Van Dijk at the back.
At club level, Van Hecke’s form has continued to improve even after De Zerbi left and was replaced by German Fabian Hürzeler. Now in his peak years, he is playing the best football of his career. Praised by managers and forwards across the league, Van Hecke has shown form and a desire to stay fit, becoming one of the Premier League’s most reliable defenders.
The 2025-26 season was his best by far as Brighton. Van Hecke featured in 36 of Brighton’s 38 league games as they secured UEFA Conference League qualification and more importantly for the defender, he established himself as Koeman’s second-choice defender behind Van Dijk. It’s expected that he will retain that role at the World Cup, given his style and fit in the side and just before the Dutch headed out to the United States, his hometown gave him a fitting send-off with flag-waving locals serenading him through the city.
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Once he’s back, he could be at the heart of a transfer battle between Tottenham, where De Zerbi is manager, and Liverpool, who need to bolster their defence. Brighton want up to £70 million, but for a player with less than a year remaining on his contract, that fee may be unreasonably high. The World Cup may give Brighton the chance to justify that, and given Van Hecke’s form, he could be an unlikely superstar for the Dutch.
By: Karan Tejwani / @karan_tejwani26
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Alex Dodd – CameraSport