Brighton star Jan Paul van Hecke gets huge support from friends in remote Dutch village

Brighton prima is buoyed from enactment from household and friends successful Holland. They came implicit by autobus and vessel to cheer him connected successful large Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest.

A Cult leader Premier league shot prima volition person implicit 100 relatives and friends travelling from a distant quaint Dutch sportfishing colony to cheer him connected tomorrow.

Brighton & Hove Albion person been staggered by the enactment fixed to Holland planetary Jan Paul van Hecke from his sleepy location colony of Arnemuide. Two bus-loads of fans volition conscionable up to permission earlier dawn to caput crossed the Channel for Brighton’s location crippled with Wolves.

The Mirror visited the distant location colony of the subordinate - everyone knows arsenic ‘JP’ - and recovered a immense magnitude of support. Kids were moving astir successful Brighton shirts and astatine his aged superior schoolhouse determination was a signed garment from the centre fractional who made his planetary debut past week alongside Liverpool’s Virgil van Djik.

His uncle Michael Krijger said: “There are 100 of america going implicit adjacent period by autobus and ferry to ticker the lucifer against Wolves. Then we volition spell again successful November to ticker Southampton. We conscionable astatine 5am and enactment the nighttime successful Brighton. We’ve been implicit earlier and person a fantastic time. It’s precise special.”

Everywhere we went successful Arnemuiden - stuck retired successful Zeeland a distant portion of the seashore knew “JP”. We met his Uncle, Aunt, his relative and his teacher - walking astir the colony successful 1 afternoon!

Teacher Margo Damen taught JP erstwhile helium was six and seven. She pointed retired his aged people representation connected the partition and proudly showed america his signed garment helium dropped successful past year. She said: “We are truthful arrogant of him and what helium has achieved successful England. He came backmost past twelvemonth to spot - helium hasn’t changed astatine all.”

His uncle, aunt and relative each told america however they were looking guardant to the travel connected the “party buses”. Michael said: “JP has a location inactive successful the country and his mum and 3 brothers inactive unrecorded here. Two of them Guus and Huib inactive play for the section side. JP started erstwhile helium was 5 oregon six determination arsenic well. When helium comes backmost successful the summertime helium ever helps enactment with the section coaching. He hasn’t changed a bit.”

When we met him helium was picking up his sons Denley and Dyavi from schoolhouse - they emerged some wearing Brighton shirts. Arnemuiden is simply a historical aged sportfishing colony with a windmill. It’s truthful quiescent that connected the Main Street - called Langstraat - kids play hopscotch connected the roadworthy and location owners person their names supra the doors arsenic good arsenic numbers

Van Hecke loves the colony wherever helium is present the astir celebrated nonmigratory helium said: “I rather often spell backmost It's a tiny town. Not truly immoderate large cities around.I conscionable travel from a village, and it's really, like, togetherness. The radical each truly turn up with each different truly well.

“So present that I’m playing nonrecreational football, they emotion it. In a fewer weeks, they’re coming with 2 buses of 100 radical to our game. My member and a person of his arranged that. He gets the tickets, the hotel, helium arranges everything and they each travel together.”

His uncle - besides from Arenmuiden is Jan Poortvliet - helium wasn’t a atrocious subordinate himself … making the Dutch ream for the 1978 World Cup last v Argentina. Nicky Poortvliet hubby is nephew of JP said: “We are truthful arrogant of what helium has achieved and getting capped for Holland was good was precise special."

There is simply a immense van Hecke household successful this municipality - astir 60/70 of us. She added: “Everyone present is simply a Brighton instrumentality now.”