If Netherlands defender Jan Paul van Hecke is to keep up family tradition, he will need to go all the way to next month’s World Cup final.

His uncle Jan Poortvliet played in defence for the Dutch in the 1978 final, where they lost the deciding game against hosts Argentina in extra time.

Van Hecke is expected to be in the line-up on Sunday in Dallas when they get their Group F campaign underway against Japan, partnering captain Virgil van Dijk in central defence.

“An enormous feeling of pride,” he told reporters. “It’s fantastic to be here.”

Van Hecke gets his chance after Jurrien Timber was ruled out of the tournament by injury.

“It’s my dream, but it was also his dream,” Van Hecke said. “It’s a real shame that his dream has fallen apart.”

Ironically, Van Hecke’s uncle also broke into the Dutch team in 1978 in similar circumstances, having debuted for the Netherlands a fortnight before the World Cup kicked off and being picked for the squad as something of an outsider.

But when first-choice left-back Hugo Hovenkamp got injured, Poortvliet got to play.

“Hugo was in the form of his life, but that’s how things sometimes go,” Poortvliet told Dutch NOS television.

He went on to play six matches in Argentina, showing his versatility at left-back, right-back and as a defensive midfielder.

UNCLE COACHED NEPHEW

Poortvliet, now 70, has managed several Dutch clubs, was at Southampton for six months in 2008 and briefly coached Van Hecke at under-17 level.

“Even then he had that strong determination to seize every opportunity,” he said of his nephew, now at Brighton & Hove Albion.

“Jan Paul is so stable, impossible to knock off course, both in football and in life. What he has achieved is very impressive. He may occasionally have a poor game, but he stays focused.”

Van Hecke told reporters last week he expected a tough start for the Dutch against Japan.

“We’re facing a strong opponent right away. Winning 1–0 at Wembley against England says a lot. In my opinion, my teammate (Kaoru) Mitoma was their best player.

“I’m very sorry for him that he had to withdraw from the World Cup because of injury and will miss the tournament. But even without Mitoma, Japan have a strong team,” Van Hecke said.