Why Tottenham will already fear Jan Paul van Hecke vultures after Netherlands vs Serbia
Jan Paul van Hecke may not be destined to be a Tottenham Hotspur player for long unless Spurs seriously start to turn things around.
The 26-year-old has been a revelation for Spurs in central defence since signing from Brighton this summer.
Few, if any, players in his position are playing better football in the Premier League than Tottenham's number six right now.
He's played every single minute of the Lilywhites' league campaign so far, and despite Spurs' struggles, has stood out above the rest.
As such, if Tottenham can't show offer him the chance to win silverware or even compete at the top-end of the Premier League soon, his head could be turned.
His display for the Netherlands against Serbia on Sunday was further proof of why Van Hecke is deserves to be at the top of the game, with or without Spurs.
How Jan Paul van Hecke proved he's on another level in Serbia vs Netherlands
After opening their Nations League campaign with a 1-1 draw with Germany, the Netherlands took on Serbia on Sunday.
Xavi's side ran out 2-1 winners in Beograd, thanks to a brace from AZ Alkmaar striker Mexx Meerdink.
Van Hecke started and played the full 90 minutes for the Dutch, and it was a display that will have scouts from top clubs everywhere drooling.
Per FotMob, he completed the most passes (109 - 93 per cent success rate) and registered the most defensive contributions (13) of any player on the pitch.
He took 133 touches, played seven passes into the final third, made 11 clearances, seven recoveries and was accurate with three long balls.
Van Hecke won seven of his eight aerial duels and committed zero fouls: make no mistake, this was the performance of a world-class central defender.
He wasn't the only Tottenham player in action for the Netherlands though, with Micky van de Ven also seeing out the full 90 minutes.
Van de Ven again flashes Tottenham potential for Netherlands
Despite playing most of his time in central defence for Tottenham, Van de Ven is rarely seen there for his national side.
When it comes to representing his country, the Netherlands commonly deploy the 25-year-old as a left-back.
Andy Robertson has made that position his own in N17 this term, but when general fatigue and if injuries/suspensions occur, Roberto De Zerbi isn't blessed for depth here.
So, the Spurs boss will have been watching on with a keen interest to see how Van de Ven fared once again at full-back, and he will've been impressed.
Per FotMob, Van de Ven completed 90 per cent of his passes, took 62 touches and played seven passes into the final third.
On top of that, he was also accurate with his lone cross attempt, won all three of his ground duels, made two tackles and one last man tackle.
Overall then, both Spurs defenders came out of this game with huge credit, particularly Van Hecke though, who may already be outgrowing what Tottenham can offer him.