Brighton defender Van de Hecke gets first Dutch call-up

Brighton & Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke received a first call up to the Netherlands squad on Monday after Tottenham Hotspur’s Micky van de Ven was dropped for Nations League matches against Bosnia & Herzegovina and Germany.

Van de Ven did train with Tottenham last week but was not included in their matchday squad for Sunday's Premier League loss at Newcastle United.

In Spurs’ previous match, a 4-0 home win over Everton on Aug. 24, he appeared to have hurt his knee after a tackle and was in some discomfort but able to continue.

The Dutch football association (KNVB) said Van de Ven was not match fit and therefore being replaced by the 24-year-old Van Hecke.

The Netherlands host Bosnia & Herzegovina in Eindhoven on Saturday and then Germany at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam three days later at the start of the new Nations League campaign.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian Radnedge)