Netherlands goalkeeper Nick Olij was seen poking fun at Erling Haaland upon Jan Paul van Hecke’s arrival at the team’s Nations League training camp this week.
Ronald Koeman’s star-studded Dutch squad, who sit second in Group A3 behind Germany, gathered together in Zeist on Tuesday ahead of the side’s upcoming matches against Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Van Hecke has put his hand up for selection with a string of eye-catching performances at the heart of Brighton’s defence this season and his contribution in the Seagulls’ 2-1 win over Manchester City has clearly made an impression on his fellow countrymen.
Haaland silenced the Amex Stadium with a scruffy strike midway through the first half before a spirited Brighton hit back, as Joao Pedro and Matt O’Riley both netted to consign City to a fourth successive defeat in all competitions.
Van Hecke may have been disappointed with his part in Haaland’s opener but the central defender responded well, thwarting the Premier League champions with a series of crucial interceptions alongside Igor Julio.
When another of City’s attacks came to nothing In the dying moments, Haaland’s frustrations boiled over and the forward was seen lashing out at Van Hecke, with the pair having to be pulled apart.
Van Hecke doesn’t seem like the sort of character to gloat about getting the better of one of the world’s best strikers in Haaland.
However, Olij wasn’t going to let the defender forget it so easily when they were reunited, asking, ‘Haaland? Haaland?’, while rifling through his ex-NAC Breda team-mate’s pockets.
Olij, who turns out for Eredivisie strugglers Sparta Rotterdam, received his first Netherlands call-up last year but is yet to his debut for the national team.
Brighton’s Van Hecke, meanwhile, made his debut in the Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Germany in September, coming on as a substitute for Matthijs de Ligt at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
After Van Hecke’s scuffle with Haaland, the centre-back was involved in a animated discussion with Pep Guardiola and later lifted the lid on what was said during the conversation.
‘We were just speaking about the foul at the end in the box. He just congratulated me. I said they had a great team,’ Van Hecke explained.
‘He just asked me what happened in the box and I explained.
‘He is a great manager. You see the way his team played at the end of last season, we lost 4-0 and I felt like the whole game I was in the rondo! I only have a lot of respect for him.’
Quizzed on what he said to Van Hecke shortly after City’s loss, Guardiola replied: ‘That he was strong with Erling and when Erling then stands up, you have to stand up, he cannot go to the grass.
‘Stay strong, no? You pull him all the game then after the fight you stay there.
‘But he played a really good game and congratulations to Brighton.’
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