Tottenham defender Jan Paul van Hecke has explained that manager Roberto De Zerbi targeted him specifically this summer, believing he needed a player like him in his team.

The 26-year-old joined Tottenham in a €60m deal from Brighton in the summer as a part of Spurs’ big summer rebuild.

He’s since established himself as a key player in De Zerbi’s plans. He’s started every Premier League game to date and is even Tottenham’s top goalscorer with two goals to his name.

De Zerbi knew what he was getting with the Dutch defender. The pair had previously worked together at Brighton, with Van Hecke making 50 appearances in all competitions under the Italian.

He’s now central to his plans for Spurs. Against Leeds United, for example, the defender completed more passes than any other player on the pitch – 143.

What De Zerbi was thinking

De Zerbi clearly had a plan and knew what he was getting from the centre-back.

“That’s partly down to the style of football our manager, Roberto De Zerbi, wants us to play,” Van Hecke said about those numbers.

“He emphasises total dominance, which naturally leads to the central defenders having a lot of touches on the ball.

“I knew that before I joined, of course, he felt I was the right player for that role. I really enjoy his style of play; it’s also something I believe I’m quite good at.”

His strong performances last month earned the defender a Player of the Month nomination. He’s pleased to be acknowledged but is more focused on the team.

“It’s always nice to be appreciated,” he added.

“But it meant more to me that we started winning again. That was what mattered. Being nominated is certainly nice on a personal level, but I was happier about the results.”

Not everything has been perfect

It’s not been all rosy at Tottenham to date, of course. A slow start to the season had Robert de Zerbi’s side sitting at the wrong end of the table.

They went six games without a win to start the campaign, finally breaking that duck with a 3-1 win over Coventry City last month.

That led to plenty of criticism, particularly after such a big spend in the summer. Van Hecke, though, was not concerned by that.

“I play for Tottenham Hotspur, a major club in England,” he concluded.

“That’s what I wanted, and I’m loving it. When you play at this level, you’re going to face criticism, sometimes positive, sometimes negative.

“To be honest, it doesn’t really bother me much. Besides, if you’re playing for Spurs and the Dutch national team, you must be doing something right, don’t you think?”

Sport Witness Analysis: Players to have worked with De Zerbi more than once

ROBERTO DE ZERBI Players managed at more than one club

Eight confirmed examples · Senior players who appeared under De Zerbi at two different clubs

Player	First spell together	Second spell together	Reunion
Pietro Iemmello	Foggia 2014–2016	Benevento 2017–2018	Already at Benevento when De Zerbi took charge in October 2017, having previously led his attack at Foggia.
Filip Djuričić	Benevento 2018	Sassuolo 2018–2021	Joined Sassuolo in summer 2018 after playing under De Zerbi during his loan at Benevento.
Enrico Brignola	Benevento 2017–2018	Sassuolo 2018–2019	Followed De Zerbi to Sassuolo in August 2018 after breaking through under him at Benevento.
Marlon	Sassuolo 2018–2021	Shakhtar Donetsk 2021–2022	Moved directly from Sassuolo to Shakhtar in June 2021, following his former coach to Ukraine.
Pol Lirola	Sassuolo 2018–2019	Marseille 2024–January 2026	Returned to Marseille from a loan at Frosinone in summer 2024 and reunited with De Zerbi when the Italian became head coach.
Hamed Junior Traorè	Sassuolo 2019–2021	Marseille 2025–February 2026	Joined Marseille from Bournemouth in August 2025, renewing their partnership from Sassuolo.
Jan Paul van Hecke	Brighton & Hove Albion 2022–2024	Tottenham Hotspur 2026–present	Joined Tottenham in June 2026, reuniting with the coach who helped establish him in Brighton’s first team.
Mykhailo Mudryk	Shakhtar Donetsk 2021–2022	Tottenham Hotspur 2026–present	Arrived on loan from Chelsea in September 2026 and made his Spurs debut against Nottingham Forest on 5 September.

Scope: Confirmed examples of senior players who appeared under De Zerbi at two different clubs. Dates describe their shared working periods, rather than the player’s full contract at each club. Loan spells elsewhere are excluded from those periods. Transfer links and training-only overlaps do not qualify.
Updated: 12 November 2026.

SPORT WITNESS