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The new signing will aim to quickly build a strong partnership with compatriot Micky van de Ven at Tottenham. We are all aware by now how personally Roberto De Zerbi got involved in Tottenham Hotspur signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Hove Albion. Jan Paul van Hecke, an established Premier League centre-half, will be seen commanding Spurs’ defence alongside his new teammates very soon. Roberto De Zerbi clearly values his immense distribution and leadership skills, persuading him to join the North London club. He is viewed as a replacement for Cristian Romero, who is expected to depart the club. The Netherlands international completed 70 minutes in Tottenham’s latest pre-season outing against Getafe last week. The defender declared himself fully prepared for the challenges of the upcoming campaign. After receiving an extended summer rest following World Cup duty, the game against Getafe was vital in regaining his match sharpness and rhythm. Jan Paul van Hecke opens up on his relationship with Micky van de Ven Van Hecke is one of the first players to come through the door at Spurs this summer. The 25-year-old now looks set to be partnered with his compatriot Micky van de Ven in central defence. After the Getafe friendly, he opened up on his relationship with Van de Ven and the conversations the pair had before the centre-back completed his move to N17. “I’m really good friends with Micky. Even before the transfer was made, you speak always about football, you speak about your club,” Van Hecke told Football London. “He’d already told me that it’s an amazing club. When I came here, I could see straight away from the first day that this is a really big club. “That’s what we did in the U21s years ago, we played together as a couple [of centre-backs]. Now I hope to play as many games with him, and hopefully it can be a really good partnership.” Understanding between the duo key to success Van Hecke and Van de Ven were part of the Netherlands backline at the World Cup; the former started in central defence alongside Virgil van Dijk, while the latter operated as a left-back. The Oranje were eliminated from the round of 32 at the hands of Morocco in a penalty shootout, and after an extended summer rest, the duo have been to the club. Having known each other for a long time and played together in the Under-21s, Van Hecke and Van de Ven will look to build a formidable partnership at Tottenham. The former Brighton talent’s swift integration into the squad has been accelerated by his existing relationship with Van de Ven and De Zerbi. In fact, Van de Ven played a key role in convincing his compatriot to become a part of De Zerbi’s project at Spurs. Delivering consistently strong performances and clean sheets remains the ultimate objective of the Dutch pair as preparations for the new campaign continue in full flow.