Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke insists Erling Haaland will ‘know who he is by now’ after recent battles | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland will be very aware of the presence and challenge posed by Jan Paul van Hecke, the Brighton defender has insisted.

The Norwegian striker has faced his fair share of difficult opponents since arriving in England, but Brighton under Roberto De Zerbi and now Fabian Hurzeler have regularly proven to be one of the trickiest tests for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Their disciplined structure and physical intensity, as well as bold style of attacking play, have given the former Premier League champions problems across multiple meetings, with van Hecke often tasked with handling Erling Haaland directly.

Haaland, who has been in the headlines during the latest international break for his five-goal haul against Moldova, is now preparing to return to domestic duties with Manchester City this week.

The looming Premier League schedule sees the striker continue his search for rhythm after a stop-start campaign last season, one in which Manchester City struggled at times due to injuries across the squad.

For Brighton, their own ambitions have grown significantly in recent years, with European qualification becoming an expectation rather than a dream. Van Hecke’s role at the back has been central to their development, and the Dutchman has built a reputation for embracing some of the league’s fiercest physical duels.

Speaking during a recent interview with Voetbalzone, the standout Brighton & Hove Albion defender has insisted upon his belief that Erling Haaland will be very aware of him after their recent physical contests in the Premier League.

“I think Haaland knows who I am by now,” the Dutch international laughed. “I’ve been playing in the Premier League for four years now, and when you face each other every season and have tough matches, something naturally develops,” he continued.

Offering further thoughts, van Hecke said, “I think that’s great, and I think he does too. That’s what you play in this league: you want to push each other to the limit. When you play against Haaland, you have to be ready, otherwise he’ll eat you up.”

While Haaland’s name continues to dominate global football for his goalscoring exploits, players such as van Hecke underline the fierce competitiveness of the Premier League. The Norwegian has already admitted in previous interviews that he relishes tough battles, and this latest exchange highlights the mutual respect between striker and defender.

Looking ahead, the two are set to clash again later in the season, with City looking to maintain their title ambitions and Brighton pushing to upset the established order having already inflicted a 2-1 defeat on the Etihad club.

For Pep Guardiola, who has previously rotated Erling Haaland’s role depending on tactical needs, these duels also act as a reminder of the need for physical dominance in attack. As City continue to deal with injuries across the squad – most recently Omar Marmoush’s knee setback on international duty with Egypt – the importance of Haaland staying fit and finding rhythm will only grow.