Jan Paul van Hecke gets fitting send-off from local people | OneFootball

Jan Paul van Hecke received a special send-off in his home village as he set off for the World Cup. According to TheArgus.co.uk, locals in Arnemuiden lined the roadside to salute the Albion defender.

Residents set off firecrackers and orange flares, cheering, chanting and waving flags as his car passed. He drove through a cloud of orange smoke on his way to the squad get-together.

Van Hecke hails from rural Zeeland and has spoken of his pride in the area’s community spirit. Family and friends from Arnemuiden often travel in numbers to watch him at the Amex.

He was leaving to link up with Ronald Koeman’s squad for an open training session. Holland face Algeria on Wednesday at Feyenoord’s De Kuip in Rotterdam, then play Uzbekistan next Monday in New York.

At the World Cup, Van Hecke is expected to partner Virgil van Dijk at centre-back, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Mats Wieffer is also in the squad, and Koeman has said he now views him more as a right-back than a midfielder.

Source: TheArgus.co.uk