Jan Paul van Hecke has been the centre of attention this week - and he relished it.

Albion's three Dutchmen were given a fantastic stage on which to impress their compatriots.

On the pitch, of course, where they helped in a win and clean sheet to burst Ajax’s bubble under John van’t Schip.

But also in terms of exposure and media spotlight.

Joel Veltman did an array of interviews ahead of the game at the Amex and was put up for the main eve-of-game press conference.

Van Hecke did similar in Amsterdam this week.

And both he and Bart Verbruggen were brought out to speak to reporters after the game - as van Hecke had also done at the Amex.

Veltman was, one imagines, catching up with many friends and former colleagues at Ajax before Albion made a fairly hasty return to England.

The right-back was given a terrific cheer by home fans when his name was read out before the game.

Verbruggen and van Hecke do not have the same Ajax connection - although the defender’s brothers support Ajax.

“Hopefully not tonight!” he added.

But this extra spotlight is something on which a good player should thrive - and the Dutch trio certainly rose to the occasion.

Van Hecke loved it. He said: “It’s a bit different because you get loads of messages and everyone trying to speak to you.

“You get a press conference and stuff like that but I like it and on the pitch I think it showed. I did a good job.

“I had a lot of family and friends around the stadium - maybe 35, 40 people.”

Van Hecke enjoyed a good old fashioned tussle with Brian Brobbey, a whole-hearted and clever centre-forward you can’t help but like, even if the ball isn’t going in for him of late.

“We were lucky with them hitting the post twice (with the same Brobbey shot) but I think overall we defended our box really well,” van Hecke said.

The defender was unlucky to be booked for a foul on Brobbey when the striker seems to commit the first offence.

That’s three yellow cards for van Hecke in the competition.

He is joint ‘top’ of that table with players including one of his Albion predecessors, Connor Goldson of Rangers.

But that individual battle was one to enjoy.

“Oh I really enjoyed that,” van Hecke said.

“I know Brian Brobbey really well. I played with him in the under-21s and I also played against him a few times.

“He is a good guy and we just had some conversations, respectful.

“It was about how the game was going and some duels and I told him it was not a yellow card and he said it was a foul!”

Van Hecke was partnered by Igor in the second half.

The pairing did not have the happiest evening during Albion's European false start at home to AEK but they stood up here to something of an onslaught.

Van’t Schip’s half-time introduction of Chuba Akpom meant Ajax had an old fashioned front four as they attacked the more vocal home end in the second half.

The attack-minded players kept coming from the bench but Albion, helped by that one moment of luck, stood firm.

Van Hecke said: “I thought Igor did really well when he came in.

“He had some good clearances and some composure in the ball as well. He was really important for us.

“AEK was a different game. They came three times in front of the goal and scored three times so I don’t think it was a bad job from us, it was just a bit unlucky.”

Back at the Amex two weeks ago, van Hecke - who comes from the south of Holland - had spoken about the importance for him of playing against Ajax.

Of course many Dutch football followers watch the Premier League on TV to a degree.

One imagines their focus being more on the top sides, as well as Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, than on Brighton.

But a game against Ajax suddenly puts you in the spotlight back home.

There were questions about van Hecke and the national team from reporters both before and after Thursday’s game.

For the defender who joined from Breda, that evening in the capital meant a lot.

And he focused even more sharply as the win and clean sheet came firmly into view.

“I was telling myself, ‘Now you need to step up and make sure they don’t score’,” he said about the later moments of a clean sheet.

The mission was accomplished - and the performance was, figuratively speaking, one to write home about.