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[Albion] Jan Paul van Hecke - contracted to June 2027



Whitechapel

Famous Last Words
Jul 19, 2014
4,074
Not in Whitechapel
In a lot of ways, I think Van Hecke might be our most impressive piece of scouting so far.

Now, to clarify - Caicedo was an outrageous bargain for an unfashionable league. However, Man United were after him and he was a known talent. Ferguson was plucked from Ireland as a kid, but he chose us over Liverpool. Celtic wanted Mitoma.

Van Hecke? I’ve never heard stories about how we pinched him from a big club before they could agree a deal for him. We seemingly just plucked some random lad out an also-ran in the Dutch league and he’s a f*cking monster. It wasn’t about the pathway we could offer him, or the Premier League money. It was simply the fact that nobody else spotted him. What a find he’s been too. I love him.
 




Comrade Sam

Comrade Sam
Jan 31, 2013
1,587
Walthamstow
In a lot of ways, I think Van Hecke might be our most impressive piece of scouting so far.

Now, to clarify - Caicedo was an outrageous bargain for an unfashionable league. However, Man United were after him and he was a known talent. Ferguson was plucked from Ireland as a kid, but he chose us over Liverpool. Celtic wanted Mitoma.

Van Hecke? I’ve never heard stories about how we pinched him from a big club before they could agree a deal for him. We seemingly just plucked some random lad out an also-ran in the Dutch league and he’s a f*cking monster. It wasn’t about the pathway we could offer him, or the Premier League money. It was simply the fact that nobody else spotted him. What a find he’s been too. I love him.
We did get him some time ago and have developed him from a youth, through a chain of well placed loans. It was potential Brighton spotted and his path to ready was longer than Caicedo, Mitoma, Enciso, McAllister or Ferguson's.
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,770
Back in Sussex
In a lot of ways, I think Van Hecke might be our most impressive piece of scouting so far.

Now, to clarify - Caicedo was an outrageous bargain for an unfashionable league. However, Man United were after him and he was a known talent. Ferguson was plucked from Ireland as a kid, but he chose us over Liverpool. Celtic wanted Mitoma.

Van Hecke? I’ve never heard stories about how we pinched him from a big club before they could agree a deal for him. We seemingly just plucked some random lad out an also-ran in the Dutch league and he’s a f*cking monster. It wasn’t about the pathway we could offer him, or the Premier League money. It was simply the fact that nobody else spotted him. What a find he’s been too. I love him.
This is the email I received on Thursday 10th September 2020...

*EMBARGOED 6.30PM**
ALBION SIGN YOUNG DUTCH DEFENDER
Brighton & Hove Albion are pleased to confirm the signing of Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke from NAC Breda on a three-year contract.​
The 20-year-old joined Breda in 2018 and is regarded as one of the best young defenders in the Netherlands.​
Technical director Dan Ashworth said, “We have been tracking Jan Paul for quite a while and we’re delighted he has joined us.​
“He’s a young talent, a powerful defender who is comfortable on the ball and good in possession.​
“The plan now is that he will go out on loan to a club in Europe for the season to continue his development.​
“The club’s loans department, led by David Weir, will monitor his progress closely over the course of the season.”​
 


Sheebo

Well-known member
Jul 13, 2003
29,297
This is the email I received on Thursday 10th September 2020...

*EMBARGOED 6.30PM**
ALBION SIGN YOUNG DUTCH DEFENDER
Brighton & Hove Albion are pleased to confirm the signing of Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke from NAC Breda on a three-year contract.​
The 20-year-old joined Breda in 2018 and is regarded as one of the best young defenders in the Netherlands.​
Technical director Dan Ashworth said, “We have been tracking Jan Paul for quite a while and we’re delighted he has joined us.​
“He’s a young talent, a powerful defender who is comfortable on the ball and good in possession.​
“The plan now is that he will go out on loan to a club in Europe for the season to continue his development.​
“The club’s loans department, led by David Weir, will monitor his progress closely over the course of the season.”​
Very weird but until just now reading that email I swear I thought his name was John-Paul 🤣 I think it’s because everyone calls him JP or Van Hecke - or JPVH. How weird. Yes the pope etc etc - my brain etc etc…
 


Hugo Rune

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Feb 23, 2012
21,631
Brighton
We did get him some time ago and have developed him from a youth, through a chain of well placed loans. It was potential Brighton spotted and his path to ready was longer than Caicedo, Mitoma, Enciso, McAllister or Ferguson's.
It seems it wasn’t just van Hecke we were monitoring at NAC Breda:

IMG_4036.jpeg
 








Commander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 28, 2004
12,945
London
Very weird but until just now reading that email I swear I thought his name was John-Paul 🤣 I think it’s because everyone calls him JP or Van Hecke - or JPVH. How weird. Yes the pope etc etc - my brain etc etc…
I thought it was Jean-Paul!
 




Gabbiano

Well-known member
Dec 18, 2017
1,271
Spank the Manc
It seems it wasn’t just van Hecke we were monitoring at NAC Breda:

View attachment 172373
I'm surprised I've never seen that mentioned before!

That's the kind of little titbit that commentators would normally be all over. "Van Hecke back to Verbruggen, who came through the youth system together at Breda and now playing together in the PL..."

Like when we had to hear that Mitoma did his dissertation on dribbling from every commentator twice a match.
 




Wardy's twin

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2014
8,448
Not sure what his current deal is but he is one I would to ensure extended and maybe wages reviewed. Whilst we might be a selling team we need to have some continuity...
 












PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 15, 2004
18,712
Hurst Green












Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,637
The Fatherland
Really? I thought he was uncharacteristically sloppy tonight. The amount of times me and the boy said 'what the Van Hecke?' tonight...
I didn’t think he was sloppy with his defending, he made some good interceptions and read some situations really well. He was maybe a bit sloppy when in possession but that’s the way we play, if you try and play the ball out as often as we do, recycling when something isn’t on, it’s inevitable we will come unstuck occasionally.
 


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