Van Hecke seeks to emulate uncle's success

Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke carries the weight of family tradition as he eyes a deep run in the upcoming World Cup, potentially emulating his uncle Jan Poortvliet's journey to the 1978 final. Poortvliet, a defender himself, played in the final where the Dutch narrowly lost to Argentina in extra time.

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An enormous feeling of pride. It’s fantastic to be here.

Van Hecke is expected to partner captain Virgil van Dijk in central defense when the Netherlands kicks off its Group F campaign against Japan on Sunday in Dallas. This opportunity arises after Jurrien Timber was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. "An enormous feeling of pride," Van Hecke told reporters. "It's fantastic to be here." He added, "It's my dream, but it was also his dream. It's a real shame that his dream has fallen apart."

Ironically, Van Hecke's uncle experienced a similar path to the national team. Jan Poortvliet debuted for the Netherlands just two weeks before the 1978 World Cup and was initially an outsider for the squad. However, an injury to the first-choice left-back, Hugo Hovenkamp, opened the door for Poortvliet. "Hugo was in the form of his life, but that's how things sometimes go," Poortvliet told Dutch NOS television.

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It's my dream, but it was also his dream. It's a real shame that his dream has fallen apart.

Poortvliet went on to play six matches in Argentina, showcasing his versatility across defense and midfield. Now 70, Poortvliet, who also briefly coached Van Hecke at the under-17 level, described his nephew as having "that strong determination to seize every opportunity." He noted Van Hecke's stability, stating, "Jan Paul is so stable, impossible to knock off course, both in football and in life. What he has achieved is very impressive. He may occasionally have a poor game, but he stays focused."

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Hugo was in the form of his life, but that's how things sometimes go.

Looking ahead, Van Hecke anticipates a challenging opening match against Japan. "We're facing a strong opponent right away. Winning 1–0 at Wembley against England says a lot. In my opinion, my teammate (Kaoru) Mitoma was their best player," he said. "I'm very sorry for him that he had to withdraw from the World Cup because of injury and will miss the tournament. But even without Mitoma, Japan have a strong team," Van Hecke concluded.

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Even then he had that strong determination to seize every opportunity.