Lewis Dunk will stay with Brighton & Hove Albion for the next three seasons. The 31-year-old captain has extended his contract by three years.
Brighton continue club legend
“Long live the captain!” says a euphoric Roberto De Zerbi, who has led Brighton to European football since his appointment. “I am very happy that he has signed this new contract. It’s good news for Lewis and the club,” De Zerbi said via the Brighton channels on Wednesday.
Dunk plays a crucial role in De Zerbi’s game. For example, he handed out a towering number of passes last season: 3208 to be precise, which puts him at the top. That is more than 200 more than Manchester City player Rodri, who sent 2977
Dunk has been around Brighton for twenty years. He has gone through various youth teams since the age of ten and made his debut in the first team in the 2009/10 season. Dunk has one international match for the England national team to his name.
Van Hecke convinces De Zerbi and extends contract
Jan Paul van Hecke has extended his contract with Brighton & Hove Albion. He signed a contract until mid-2025. It resulted in praise from manager Roberto de Zerbi.
For a long time, Van Hecke had to keep his patience with The Seagulls. The defender, taken over from NAC Breda in 2020, was loaned to SC Heerenveen and Blackburn Rovers and hardly got a job at Brighton. That suddenly changed in the second part of last season.
Van Hecke gained more and more confidence from De Zerbi, who awarded him starting positions against Manchester City and Newcastle United, among others. He made a big impression against the national champion, successfully shadowing Erling Haaland.
That performance convinced De Zerbi of the qualities of the cousin of former international Jan Poortvliet. The Italian campaigned for an improved contract for Van Hecke, who was interested in AS Roma and Galatasaray. However, his manager’s argument made him decide to stay longer at Brighton & Hove.
“I am very happy for Jan Paul,” said De Zerbi in nice words on the official club channels. “I am happy that I have been able to capture an important player for longer. Last season he proved his qualities. He was an important factor in achieving our goals.”
