Jan Paul van Hecke wants to be a Dutch pass master – as he impresses for club and country.
The Albion centre-back enjoyed his first start for Holland as they beat Hungary 4-0 in the UEFA Nations League.
It is the latest big step forward in a career which has seen the young defender emerge as a key player and leader for the Seagulls.
Van Hecke did not even make the 26-man squad for the Euros in the summer.
But his ability in possession saw him leapfrog Mathijs De Ligt and Stefan De Vrij, both of whom remained on the bench on Saturday.
Van Hecke, who played as a No.10 in junior football, takes pride in his passing and told The Argus: “I think in the last years it was always my strong side.
“But when you get more games in the Premier League and you know more about how it goes, I think I get stronger and stronger.
“You see the confidence and I think that is one of the best parts of my game.”
Van Hecke has partnered Igor at the back in recent games for his club but Lewis Dunk will return from injury as Premier League action resumes.
That will lead to increased competition for places and van Hecke believes Albion’s injuries have been under-played compared to teams such as their most recent opponents Manchester City.
He said: “Last season we had big injuries and not a lot of people were speaking about us when we had injuries.
“I think it is part of football that sometimes you have your best players injured.
“Of course, it is harder to play against Kevin de Bruyne when he is fit but I think we miss some players.”
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