Tottenham's New Era: Van Hecke and Robertson Await Debut
Tottenham’s new era is still waiting for two of its headline acts.
Jan Paul van Hecke and Andy Robertson again watched from the sidelines as Spurs eased past A-League champions Auckland FC 2-0 in the early hours of Sunday morning, their wait for a first appearance in club colours stretching into another week.
Robertson, the former Liverpool left-back and Scotland captain, arrived on a free transfer before Scotland’s World Cup campaign began. Van Hecke followed from Brighton during the tournament, a deal that underlined Tottenham’s intent to reshape their defence as part of a lavish summer rebuild.
More than £200m has already gone into this squad, with Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali brought in to remodel the midfield. Spurs are spending like a club determined to jump a level, but in New Zealand the focus was less on fireworks and more on preservation.
Roberto De Zerbi kept his senior players on a tight leash, again. The Italian resisted any temptation to hand his new signings extended minutes, prioritising fitness management after a 30-hour journey to the other side of the world. The result never looked in doubt as Tottenham controlled the game and took a comfortable win, but for Van Hecke and Robertson it was another 90 minutes of waiting.
Two pre-season friendlies have now passed with both men confined to the touchline, boots on, bibs off, watching the team they were signed to transform. For supporters, the curiosity is only growing: how will Robertson’s drive down the left and Van Hecke’s composure at the back change the feel of this side?
The next window opens on Wednesday. Spurs face Sydney FC at 10.45am BST on July 29, a fixture De Zerbi hopes will see his full complement of signings fit, available and finally unleashed.
If that chance slips by as well, attention will swing to a more familiar opponent. Tottenham meet Chelsea on Saturday, August 1, again at 10.45am for UK viewers. A London rival, a global audience, and the perfect stage for two new faces to step out of the shadows.
