Spur’s £52m signing ready for new challenge

Tottenham’s new £52 million signing from Brighton, Jan Paul van Hecke, says he’s ready for a new challenge after uniting with former manager Roberto De Zerbi at Spurs.

The 26-year-old, who had a year left on his contract with the Seagulls, signed a “long-term” deal with Spurs.

The transfer also contains a sell-on fee for Brighton should the defender be sold in the future.

van Hecke, who is currently on international duty with the Dutch national team at the World Cup, spoke out for the first time since joining Tottenham from Brighton.

“A lot of calls, and of course, I’ve not been involved the whole time in this subject. It’s important for me, and the head coach [Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman] gave me the time on this transfer. I’m grateful for this because this is a great step forward in my professional career,” Van Hecke said.

The defender moved to Tottenham after manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge and steered Spurs to Premier League safety on the final day of the season.

De Zerbi previously worked with Van Hecke at Brighton and made the 26-year-old, who had 12 months left on his Brighton contract after a six-year stint on the south coast, a high priority.

Dutch club NAC Breda stands to earn around £3.5m from the transfer after agreeing a sell-on clause when selling Van Hecke to Brighton in 2020. His youth club, VV Goes, also stands to earn from the move.

“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. It’s important for my future. But now I’m focused on the World Cup here,” Van Hecke said.

Van Hecke made 131 appearances for the Seagulls and started 36 out of 38 Premier League games for Fabian Hurzeler’s side last season as they finished eighth, securing European qualification for only the second time in the club’s history.