Jan Paul van Hecke’s dad was also his best friend and biggest fan.

The Albion defender will spare a thought for him before facing Manchester United at the Amex.

He does it at every match. A few thoughts for his dad Guus, who died almost two years ago and had followed him all along what the defender describes as the Ben White development path.

Guus was a prominent figure at the local village football club in Arnemuiden.

He was leader of the youth teams which included his sons Guus, Klaas, Jan Paul and Huib, then later contributed as a volunteer and sponsor.

One of his roles was in organising trips for young Jan Paul and his team-mates to see professional matches.

He was battling against illness at about the time van Hecke made his Premier League debut for Graham Potter’s Seagulls and died in September, 2022, at the age of just 55.

The big Albion No.29, who has played his way into the latest provisional Holland squad, still takes inspiration from his dad – and will do so again as Prem action returns to the Amex.

Van Hecke says his family have always been right behind him and added: “My dad was, at that time, my best mate.

“He was my best friend. I always had chats with him. About football. About other things.

“When he was not there, it was hard. I was speaking to myself more.

“But then after a while, I found my way.

“Because I think in football, there’s a lot of mental health, so you need to always speak with somebody.

“But when there’s not really somebody? Of course, my mum was there. My brothers. It’s a different relationship. Also a really good one.

“But I found my way. Now, I’m fine. I think I’m more adult than ever.

“It’s a weird thing. Before every game, I tell myself he is watching and I need to play my best game.

“That helps me. I’m not sure it is like this, but it helps me a lot.

“Sometimes it is tough. When you have good moments, or really proud moments, you’re always happy but you think, ‘I wish he was here’.

“But then in the bad moments, you're like, ‘It always can be worse.’ It’s even.

“It has made me stronger. It took a while but now, I am good, I am fine with it."

Van Hecke has a lot of support from back home. A group of 50 came to support him in a game last season (it would have been double that had the match not been switched to a Sunday).

The JP fan club will be in three figures for a game after the international break.

They are supporting a player who was shown the pathway when he signed for the Seagulls in 2020 and recognises that, while he liked the idea, he was not totally convinced it would all follow the script.

Van Hecke said: “I'm not sure it always works like this in football but maybe, for me, the plan was perfect.

“I remember when I was 18, they said to me, ‘First to the Dutch league, then to the Championship, then one year in the Premier League to adapt, and then being a player for us, regularly starting’.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, nice story bro. How can you plan in four years?’.

“But to be fair, it worked out.

“That's why I always say now to other young players, ‘Go to a club with a good plan and a good vision’.

“They can show you if they did it before.

“When I was at that age, it was with Ben White.

“He went to lower leagues (Newport in League Two, Peterborough in League One, Leeds in the Championship) then back to Brighton and then to Arsenal. But they showed me his plan.”

Van Hecke has settled into the Albion ‘family’ and is a popular presence at events staged by the BHA Foundation.

Their much-acclaimed work in the community is being promoted by a new video from Albion fan Shamann Back, an independent hip-hop artist who is proudly autistic and is as one of the only openly dyspraxic rappers in the British industry today.

Van Hecke said: “They do an incredible job. You see all the people with happy faces, smiling.

“For us, it's just a little thing to be there and make them happy. What they are doing, it's incredible, the foundation. It's great to see that.

“Hopefully, they can keep doing that for many years.

“I remember also going to clubs. Now you see the Brighton badge.

“When I was younger, I saw the professional teams, the badge, you want to show yourself and you always have the best days.

“I remember how it was for me when I was younger and now for them, it’s the same.”