Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Paul Van Hecke delivered a masterful show as his Netherlands workforce beat Tunisia, advancing to the spherical of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
The brand new Spurs signing was completely unplayable, recording 145 touches, probably the most of any participant in a single sport on the 2026 World Cup.
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Signed by Tottenham for his ball-playing means, he accomplished 130 of his 134 passes – probably the most of any participant in a single sport on the match.
He gained 5/11 duels and gained two fouls, recording 10 defensive contributions.
Van Hecke additionally made 39 passes into the ultimate third, one other file in a single sport on the summer time showpiece in the USA, , and .
The 26-year-old was excellent within the centre of defence, versus fellow Spurs summer time signing , who was completely dreadful in opposition to .
Van Hecke capped off the fantastic efficiency together with his first worldwide aim because the Netherlands claimed a convincing 3-1 win.
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It is without doubt one of the greatest performances from a centre-half on the match to date and he ought to rightly get the man-of-the-match award.
Tottenham shall be hoping that is only a glimpse of what’s to return from Van Hecke in north London.
Defensive instability has plagued Spurs for a number of seasons, with particular person errors, poor build-up play and an absence of authority on the again undermining the workforce’s progress.
Roberto De Zerbi wants a centre-half able to bringing composure, management and high quality in possession, and Van Hecke confirmed all of these attributes in opposition to Tunisia.
His record-breaking passing numbers underlined why Spurs invested closely in him, whereas his defensive show proved he can dominate at each ends of the pitch.
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If he can reproduce performances near this degree within the Premier League, Van Hecke may grow to be the cornerstone of Tottenham’s again line.