The Dutchman is set to start against Manchester United today.
He told the club's website: “It’s great. I have come a long way, like a lot of players. I went two times on loan, played a lot, improved myself and then, two seasons ago, I came in on the bench to see how it is in the Premier League.
“Then last season I played almost every game. I had a good season and hopefully I can build on that. I feel better than ever now. I’ve got a lot of confidence. I’m happy with the new manager, he’s doing amazing. Hopefully we can build and nice things will come.”
On new manager Fabian Hurzeler, Van Hecke also said: “His own details are a bit different. You could see it's not totally opposite from what we have been playing but I think it’s more dynamic, it's really counter-pressing so if you lose the ball you need to be compact, close to the ball. And you need to run. You need to have the energy to play for him. We have the players to do that. It’s a good combination and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season.
“I feel there's a real togetherness and there's also a lot of quality on the pitch. Everyone is fit and with a few new players, a new manager, new style, hopefully we can have a good season.”