Jan Paul van Hecke has officially completed his move to Tottenham Hotspur, and the Dutch defender has already shared the role Micky van de Ven played in helping convince him to join the club.
Tottenham Hotspur have announced their third signing of the summer transfer window after already bringing in free agents Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi, with Jan Paul van Hecke becoming the latest addition to Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
The Dutch international had been on Spurs’ radar for weeks due to his excellent relationship with De Zerbi from their time together at Brighton. Tottenham were determined to get a deal over the line and eventually succeeded after seeing two bids rejected before Brighton accepted a third offer worth around £52 million.
And Brighton will feel they negotiated strongly too. While they have lost arguably their best defender, Van Hecke had entered the final year of his contract, and the Seagulls also managed to secure a 20 per cent sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
Jan Paul van Hecke reveals what Micky van de Ven told him about Tottenham
Van Hecke was quick to send a message to supporters after his move was officially confirmed, appearing in a video posted across Tottenham’s social media platforms wearing a Spurs shirt that had apparently been lent to him by fellow Dutch international Micky van de Ven.
Van de Ven had already publicly admitted from the Netherlands camp that Tottenham would be a good next step for his compatriot, and it appears the defender was also selling the club behind the scenes.
In the video, Van Hecke said: “Hello Spurs fans, Jan Paul van Hecke here, from Kansas. I’m really happy to join the club. It’s a big honour for me. I’m looking forward to play for Tottenham. For me, it’s a big dream to come true. And I look forward to see you all.
“Micky already told me some great things about the club, about the fans, about the people inside the club. He already gave me a shirt, so that’s really nice. I’m really looking forward to play my first game for Tottenham.
“Come on you Spurs!”
Why Jan Paul van Hecke has a black eye in his Tottenham announcement video
One detail that immediately caught the attention of supporters was the noticeable black eye Van Hecke was sporting in the video.
Thankfully, there is no drama behind it. The injury came during the Netherlands’ World Cup opener against Japan at the weekend. Van Hecke suffered the knock following an early collision with a Japanese player but showed his toughness by continuing for the remainder of the 2-2 draw.
The good news for both Tottenham and the Netherlands is that the issue is not expected to keep him sidelined. The defender is expected to be available when the Dutch take on Lucas Bergvall‘s Sweden in their next World Cup fixture.