Tottenham Hotspur fans have already witnessed Roberto De Zerbi keeping their side afloat in the Premier League, appreciating his fervour and the infectious excitement he brings. Yet, the full expression of the "De Zerbi ball" – the fluid, possession‑based style that defines his philosophy – has still been waiting in the wings. As the new season approaches, Spurs must be prepared to embrace that complete vision, and the starting point lies in the defensive line.
The most logical bridge between De Zerbi's ideas and the players on the pitch is Jan Paul van Hecke. The 26‑year‑old Dutch centre‑back arrived from Brighton for a reported £52 million not merely because of his raw talent, but because he already understands the nuances of De Zerbi’s system. He is, in many ways, the living embodiment of the manager’s tactical blueprint. Why does this matter?
De Zerbi’s brand of football is intricate, even for seasoned professionals. Lewis Dunk, who partnered van Hecke at Brighton, admitted that the first few weeks under De Zerbi left him feeling completely bewildered.
He described a period where everything he had learned about defending and building from the back seemed to have to be unlearned. Dunk recounted a conversation with Anatoliy Trubin – De Zerbi’s former goalkeeper at Shakhtar Donetsk – in which Trubin explained that the squad had to discard old habits and adopt a completely new way of thinking about the game.
"He opened a new way of playing," Trubin told Sky Sports, highlighting how radical the transition can be. Even veterans like James Milner, who has been coached by legends such as Terry Venables and Sir Bobby Robson and later lifted the Premier League trophy under Manuel Pellegrini and Jürgen Klopp, found De Zerbi’s approach uniquely enlightening.
Milner said the manager helped him grasp "how a team plays and why it happens" in a way no previous coach ever did. "He wanted each player in this exact position and to time their movements," Milner explained. He added that discovering the subtle art of finding a free man – something he had been doing unconsciously for years – suddenly became a conscious, teachable element under De Zerbi’s guidance. The pre‑season period for De Zerbi’s new Tottenham squad has therefore been a whirlwind of drills, rehearsals and tactical drills.
What appears on television as free‑flowing, effortless football is actually the product of meticulously scripted movements practiced repeatedly in training. The manager’s standards are exacting. Trubin recalled a moment when he executed a perfectly weighted pass, only to be berated because it did not conform to the prescribed pattern.
"He screams when something isn’t done the way we need it to be," Trubin said. "He wants everyone to know their role, the timing, the shape – a single, unified idea for the whole team." Timing, as much as the movement itself, is critical. Dunk explained that Brighton players under De Zerbi were taught to anticipate where pressure would arrive, to create passing lanes before the opposition could close them down, and to move the ball in a way that stretched the pitch horizontally and vertically.
This level of anticipation is what makes the system work, and it is precisely the expertise van Hecke brings to Tottenham. Van Hecke is not just another centre‑back in his prime; he is a pivotal conduit for De Zerbi’s concepts. In the 2022‑23 Premier League campaign, he finished second for total passes in open play and second for accurate switches of play, demonstrating both volume and precision. His willingness to attempt progressive passes – threading the ball through the centre of the pitch as well as across the width – has earned De Zerbi’s admiration.
The Italian manager praised van Hecke’s blend of confidence and audacity, noting that he is unafraid to attempt the difficult pass that breaks defensive lines. "He is a strong, intelligent centre‑back who is brave in possession and plays with personality," De Zerbi said on his signing. "Those are essential qualities for the way I want our team to set up." The intrigue, however, lies not only in his passing but in his extraordinary ball‑carrying ability. Van Hecke is a statistical outlier, even when compared with attacking stars like Erling Haaland.
Last season he carried the ball forward 597 times in the Premier League – more than any other defender and only matched by midfielders such as Declan Rice, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku. When those carries are contested, van Hecke still stands out. He recorded 315 pressured carries, a figure 133 higher than the next best centre‑back. This demonstrates his willingness to advance the ball under duress, a trait rarely seen in defenders who are traditionally instructed to play safe.
Over the course of the season he covered 10.66 kilometres with the ball at his feet – more than four kilometres farther than any other player and double the distance logged by most of his defensive peers, except for England’s Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa. For Spurs supporters, the impact will be palpable.
Van Hecke’s forward‑thinking distribution, combined with the similar vision of Marcos Senesi, creates a back line capable of playing through the thirds of the pitch. This means the team can build attacks from deep, maintain possession under pressure and transition quickly from defence to offence – the hallmark of De Zerbi’s football. In practical terms, van Hecke’s presence will allow De Zerbi to implement his high‑press, possession‑dominant style without the usual learning curve.
The defender’s familiarity with the system means he can act as a on‑field translator, guiding teammates through the subtle positional nuances and timing cues that are essential for success. His experience of over 100 Premier League appearances also provides the composure needed to execute these ideas against top‑flight opposition. As the season unfolds, Tottenham’s ability to replicate the "De Zerbi ball" will hinge on how quickly van Hecke can disseminate his understanding across the squad. If he can do so, Spurs could become one of the most entertaining and tactically sophisticated sides in England, capable of challenging for European places while delighting fans with a brand of football that is both beautiful and effective.
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