Van Hecke breaks silence on £52m Tottenham move after Brighton exit

Jan Paul van Hecke has addressed his £52m move from Brighton to Tottenham for the first time, describing the transfer as “a great step forwards” in his professional career and crediting new Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi as the driving force behind the deal.

The 26-year-old Netherlands international, speaking while on World Cup duty with the Dutch squad, said the days before the transfer were filled with constant phone calls, and that Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman gave him the space to see the move through. “I’m grateful for this because this is a great step forwards in my professional career,” Van Hecke said. “I am proud to have played for Brighton, it boosted my confidence, but now I will play for one of the most important clubs in England.”

De Zerbi, who previously managed Van Hecke at Brighton before taking charge at Tottenham and steering the club to Premier League safety on the final day of last season, made the centre-back a top priority. Van Hecke had 12 months remaining on his Brighton contract after six years at the club. “I think De Zerbi played a big role in the decision,” said Van Hecke’s uncle, Jan Poortvliet — himself a Netherlands 1978 World Cup finalist and now manager of FC Eindhoven — in comments to Dutch outlet Sportnieuws. “Several clubs were interested but De Zerbi was clear and absolutely wanted him.”

The transfer carries financial benefits beyond Spurs and Brighton. Dutch club NAC Breda, who sold Van Hecke to Brighton in 2020, stand to receive around £3.5m from a sell-on clause, while Van Hecke’s youth club VV Goes in the province of Zeeland will also earn a fee. “Goes will earn money thanks to this transfer. These clubs will be happy with this transfer and they deserve that,” Van Hecke said.

For now, his focus remains on the World Cup, where the Netherlands face Sweden in Houston on Saturday. Tottenham have also added Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson and Bournemouth defender Marcos Senesi on free transfers as De Zerbi reshapes his squad ahead of next season.