Tottenham Hotspur fans have already witnessed Roberto De Zerbi keeping their side afloat in the Premier League, admiring his fervour and infectious enthusiasm. Yet the full expression of "De Zerbi ball" has yet to be seen.
This season, Spurs must be prepared to embrace the complete version of his philosophy, and the catalyst for that transformation begins at the back of the pitch. The most logical conduit for translating De Zerbi’s ideas onto the field is Jan Paul van Hecke. The Dutch centre‑half arrived from Brighton for a reported £52 million not merely because of his raw talent, but because he already understands the intricacies of De Zerbi’s distinctive style. That familiarity is crucial; the unfiltered version of De Zerbi’s football can be bewildering even for seasoned professionals.
Lewis Dunk, van Hecke’s former defensive partner at Brighton, admitted that the first few weeks under De Zerbi left him feeling completely disoriented. Dunk recounted a conversation he had with Anatoliy Trubin, De Zerbi’s former goalkeeper at Shakhtar Donetsk, who explained that the coach forced his players to unlearn everything they thought they knew about the game. "He introduced a completely new way of playing," Trubin told Sky Sports. The same sentiment was echoed by James Milner, who, after learning under legends such as Terry Venables, Sir Bobby Robson, Manuel Pellegrini and Jürgen Klopp, still found De Zerbi’s approach unlike anything he had experienced.
Milner said De Zerbi helped him grasp "how a team functions and why certain movements happen" in a way no previous manager could. "He wants each player in an exact position at the right moment," Milner explained.
"Finding that free man and understanding the timing is something you may have done instinctively all your career, but you never realised you were doing it until you worked with De Zerbi." The pre‑season for De Zerbi’s squad has been a whirlwind, especially for the players tasked with initiating attacks. What appears on television as fluid, free‑flowing football is, in reality, the product of meticulously rehearsed patterns repeated countless times in training. The coach’s demands are exacting.
Trubin recalled a moment when he played a perfectly weighted pass, only to be berated because it did not conform to the prescribed method. "He expects everyone to know their role, to understand the single idea that underpins the whole team," Trubin said.
Timing is just as vital as the movement itself. Dunk explained that Brighton’s players were drilled to anticipate where pressure would arrive, to create passing lanes before the opposition could close them down, and to exploit those gaps instantly. This level of preparation underscores why van Hecke, now 26 and with more than a hundred Premier League appearances, is far more than a promising defender; he is a linchpin for De Zerbi’s rapid implementation of his system. Van Hecke’s courage on the ball is one of his standout attributes.
In the previous Premier League campaign he ranked second for both total passes in open play and for accurate switches of play – a testament to his volume and range. His forward‑looking distribution, whether threading a line‑breaking pass through the centre or swinging the ball wide, has earned De Zerbi’s admiration. The Italian coach praised van Hecke’s blend of confidence and audacity, noting that he is unafraid to attempt the difficult passes that shatter defensive structures. "He is a strong, intelligent centre‑back who is brave in possession and plays with personality," De Zerbi said on his signing.
"Those are exactly the traits I need for the way I want our team to operate." Yet it is van Hecke’s positioning that truly sets him apart. Statistically, he is an outlier even among the league’s elite, rivaling the uniqueness of a player like Erling Haaland, but for a completely different reason. The key metric is his ball‑carrying frequency.
Van Hecke carried the ball forward 597 times in the Premier League last season – more than any other defender and ahead of midfield stars such as Declan Rice, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku. When you factor in the instances where he was under pressure, only Doku slightly eclipsed him, which is understandable given that opponents are more likely to challenge a defender advancing the ball than a winger in an advanced position. What truly separates van Hecke from his peers is the sheer volume of pressured carries. He logged 315 pressured carries, a figure 133 higher than any other centre‑back.
In total distance, he covered 10.66 kilometres with the ball at his feet over the season – more than four kilometres farther than any other player and roughly double the distance recorded by most of his defensive counterparts, with only England’s Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa approaching his numbers. For Tottenham supporters, the impact will be evident on the pitch.
With players like Marcos Senesi also offering progressive passing options, and van Hecke’s willingness to confront opponents head‑on, the team will be equipped to progress the ball through every third of the field. After a period of defensive solidity, the true "De Zerbi ball" is set to return, this time with a robust foundation built from the back. Spurs fans can look forward to witnessing this evolution in action when Tottenham host Brentford on Saturday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5 pm (kick‑off 5.30 pm).