Jan Paul van Hecke voted WAB August 2024 Brighton Player of the Month

September 10, 2024September 10, 2024 WeAreBrighton.com 0 Comments

Danny Welbeck was nominated for the Official Premier League Player of the Month Award. Joao Pedro was named by 90min as one of their top 10 performers. Yet it is Jan Paul van Hecke who has been voted as WAB Brighton Player of the Month for August 2024.

The Dutch defender enjoyed an excellent start to the Fabian Hurzeler Era, culminating in his first call up to the Netherlands international squad. A lot of Albion supporters would say that was long overdue.

Van Hecke’s three performances through August 2024 consisted of vital interventions, perfectly timed tackles and leadership which marks him out as a future Brighton captain.

How often do you find yourself thinking weeks later about a sliding tackle made by a defender? That is where I am with Van Hecke, two challenges which he had to get right in the win over Manchester United and draw at Arsenal, otherwise he would have found himself in yellow card territory.

Of course Van Hecke got them right. With Lewis Dunk’s powers seemingly on the wane, Van Hecke will become the most important defender at the Albion this season. If he is not already.

Pedro and Welbeck rounded off the top three behind Van Hecke in August 2024 Player of the Month with the Brazilian forward beating Dat Guy to second place in the pecking order.

A brilliant, calmly placed header from Pedro gave Brighton their 95th minute winner against United. For all the silky skills and clever touches he possesses, Pedro’s aerial ability is perhaps his strongest suit. Not something you generally associate with Brazilians.

He followed that up with a clinical finish for the equaliser at Arsenal, guiding the rebound after David Raya saved from Yankubu Minteh into the back of the now-unguarded net.

Some Brighton fans thought Pedro may find himself pushed out by £40 million signing Georginio Rutter from 1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up The Leeds United.

Rutter though will have a fight on his hands wrestling the number 10 role off Pedro, whose flying start to the season saw him named in Brazil’s squad for their September World Cup qualifiers.

Like Pedro, Welbeck also scored twice in August. Dat Guy provided the second goal in the 3-0 opening day win over Everton.

He then scored via a slide tackle past United, helping Hurzeler become the first Brighton manager to win his first home game in charge of the Albion since Peter Taylor nearly 23 years ago.

It was the 100th club goal of Welbeck’s career with 75 of them now coming against the club where he started his career. Or at least that is what it feels like.