‘I think he is ready to play in the national team’: Roberto De Zerbi makes bold claim about Brighton and Hove Albion youngster

Jan Paul van Hecke performed excellently against Ajax yesterday (Thursday, November 9) with the Netherlands’ national team manager Ronald Koeman watching on.

Questions had been raised by media outlets around the possibility of the Dutch defender receiving his first call-up to the senior national team.

Following the game De Zerbi said: "I was right yesterday [before the game] when I said he is a great player. Yes, I think also today he played a great, great game [because] he is a very good player and I think he is ready to play in the national team. I don't want to speak about the Dutch national team because it is not my job but I hope he can go in the national team."

Van Hecke, who is 23-years-old, has already played in his homeland for for both SC Heerenveen and NAC Breda.