van Hecke: I know how difficult debut Premier League season can be

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Defender believes last summer signings will be better for first full season in English football.

Charlie Hanson

2025-06-12T06:00+01:00

Jan Paul van Hecke has made 91 first team appearances for Albion. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

While disappointed to have fallen short of securing a place in European football next season, Jan Paul van Hecke is confident the learnings from this campaign can set Albion up well for future success.

Albion finished eighth in the Premier League, four points short of qualifying for the Conference League and five points off a Champions League spot.

“I think we’re a little bit disappointed,” van Hecke reflected. “Our goal as a team was to get into Europe but of course we had some setbacks in the season.

Jan Paul van Hecke made seven appearances in the Europa League for Albion during the 2023/24 season. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“I think the final weeks were brilliant – everyone gave all they could and you could see that as well on the pitch and with the results.

“If you look at the last few weeks of the season we were really, really good – up there with the best. We spoke a lot this season about needing to be consistent in the Premier League to really battle for the top places and hopefully that's going to happen next season.

“We had a really good end and everyone had a good feeling. Of course we’re a bit disappointed, but we can be proud of what we showed in the last games of the season.”

JP is also sure that like him, his teammates who joined in 2024 will have hugely benefited from a year in the Premier League.

Jan Paul van Hecke's international teammate Mats Wieffer joined Albion from Feyenoord last season. 📷 by James Boardman.

“We've had loads of guys who were in their first season in the Premier League, coming from new leagues or being really young and inexperienced.

“I know for myself when I played the first season in the Premier League it was really hard. Then the next one was easier and the third one was easier again.

“That's what you're going to see next season, a lot of boys are going to be much better. They showed this season that they've been good. It’s a bright future.”