The Norwegian international has an excellent goalscoring record against Albion, netting on six occasions in as many matches.
But his City side have won two, drawn two, and lost two of those matches, with Albion unbeaten in the last three. In that time, he has gotten well acquainted with Van Hecke, most recently in their 2-1 loss at the Amex on Sunday.
While the Dutch international is well aware of Haaland's quality, the 25-year-old said in an interview with [Voetbalzone](https://www.voetbalzone.nl/nieuws/jan-paul-van-hecke-over-erling-haaland-oranje-en-de-premier-league/bltec36da7af90c2153) that he is very much on the ex-Borussia Dortmund man's radar these days.
"I think Haaland knows who I am by now," said Van Hecke, laughing. "I've been playing in the Premier League for four years now, and when you face each other every season and have tough matches, something naturally develops.
"I think that's great, and I think he does too. That's what you play in this league: you want to push each other to the limit. When you play against Haaland, you have to be ready; otherwise, he'll eat you up."
Some players may be overawed when facing strikers such as Haaland, in addition to top Premier League marksmen like Alexander Isak and Ollie Watkins.
But Van Hecke, who revealed he was the subject of [Premier League transfer interest](https://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/25436950.brighton-ace-reveals-transfer-interest-spurs-newcastle-links/) this summer, clearly relishes those battles.
"In the Premier League, you naturally encounter so many different types of strikers," he added. "For example, I’ve faced Isak, Haaland, and Watkins. They’re all different types of strikers. Ultimately, you have to make sure you can handle everyone.
"But I think it’s great: when you hear all those names, you realise you’re playing against the best of the best. You can measure yourself against them every week."