Tottenham’s Jan Paul van Hecke put up some impressive stats in the Netherlands’ clash against Germany, though one key weakness from this season still lingers.The international break is in full swing, with several Tottenham Hotspur players already away representing their nations.Spurs Web has revealed that Tottenham have 15 players away during the three-week break, while 14 others have remained at the club.Among those on international duty is Jan Paul van Hecke, who completed a £52 million move from Brighton in the summer. The centre-back featured for the Netherlands in their UEFA Nations League clash against Germany.J. van HeckeTottenham – Premier League (2026 – 2027)Appearances5Average Rating7.34Pass Accuracy (%)93.00Tackles10Blocks5Interceptions3Duels Won26Stats correct as of 25 September 2026.However, the stats and the criticism from pundits do not seem to line up…Photo by EYE4images/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesJan Paul Van Hecke stats seem to refute harsh criticism of Tottenham starVan Hecke lined up at centre-back alongside Virgil van Dijk, while fellow Tottenham man Micky van de Ven played at left-back. The new signing caught the eye, if the stats are to be believed, finishing with the second-highest rating of any Dutch defender – higher even than Van Dijk.However, Spurs Web previously revealed that Van Hecke came under criticism from the Dutch media for his performance vs Germany.Former PSV Eindhoven and Ajax star Kenneth Perez said about the Tottenham man: “Van Hecke was truly incredibly poor in every way. On the ball, he is a real nightmare. If the ball is right in front of him and there is a player in his line of sight, he manages just fine.“But if something needs to happen that is a bit unforeseen, he really has no idea. He just shoots the ball off somewhere. I don’t know how far Timber is? But that would really be an improvement for the Dutch national team.”FotMob rated Van Hecke 7.5 for his display, where he not only snuffed out danger but also impressed with his ball-playing ability. Only four players got a higher rating than the Spurs man, while Van de Ven was handed a 7.2.No player on the pitch had more touches than the centre-back, who was heavily involved in build-up play. His passing was sharp, finishing with 93% accuracy, and he created one big chance while playing nine balls into the final third – bettered only by Nico Schlotterbeck.Van Hecke’s match statisticsStatisticNumber/PercentageTouches90Accurate passes67/72 (93%)Chances created1Shots on target1Shots off target1Blocked shots1Shot accuracy1/2 (50%)Defensive contributions7Touches in opposition box5Passes into final third9Accurate long balls5/6 (83%)Tackles1Blocks3Clearances2Headed clearance1Interceptions1Recoveries6Dribbled past0Aerial duels won6/7 (86%)Spurs expect more consistency from Van HeckeThere is no denying Van Hecke’s quality, particularly with the ball at his feet. He has already shown composure in possession for Spurs, playing more line-breaking passes than any other player in the starting XI this season.He also leads the squad in accurate passes and accurate long balls.StatisticJan Paul van HeckeClearances per 904.8Blocks per 901.2Accurate long balls per 904.2Accurate passes per 9073.2Line-breaking passes per 9021.2Every Tottenham stat topped by Jan Paul van HeckeHowever, one area of his game that requires improvement is duels. Van Hecke has won just 52% of his duels this season, a weakness exposed against Aston Villa, where Nico Jackson and others found it easy to get past him.For the Netherlands, he again struggled in ground duels, winning just one of four in his most recent outing. Against Villa, he managed only three of seven. He must improve in this area if he is to fulfil his potential at Tottenham.READ MORE: Why Tottenham’s £85m Mateus Fernandes is not even in the senior Portugal squadThe post Jan Paul van Hecke stats don’t line up with ‘incredibly poor’ criticism of Tottenham star appeared first on Spurs Web.