The defender scored Tottenham’s second goal on Saturday evening, helping his side secure a third consecutive Premier League win and move up to eighth in the table.
The result also extended a positive run under De Zerbi, who previously worked with Van Hecke at Brighton. The Dutchman was quick to acknowledge the influence of his manager, explaining that their relationship was an important factor in his decision to join Spurs.
“He's a top manager. I have a really good relationship with him,” Van Hecke told Sky Sports.
“That's a big reason why I came here because he gets the best out of me, and I think there's a lot more to come from us.”
Tottenham had to wait until the 73rd minute to secure their second goal, with Van Hecke reacting quickest after Dean Henderson had pushed his initial header onto the crossbar.
Archie Gray had opened the scoring in the first half, heading home from a Mohammed Kudus corner after Crystal Palace had been reduced to 10 men. Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off in the 13th minute following a VAR review of his challenge on Micky van de Ven.
Van Hecke believes the team's recent results are helping to build confidence, particularly after a period when performances had not been reflected in the points total.
“When you win games, the confidence grows. When you keep a clean sheet, that also helps,” he said.
“At the beginning of the season, we played well but didn't win games. That's football. We needed to stay calm and we did.”
The defender also stressed that Tottenham must maintain their composure and continue working if they are to make further progress.
“Now we need to stay calm and keep going, and we will win a lot of games for sure,” he added.
The victory was Tottenham's third league win in succession, a sequence that has lifted them into the top half of the table and offered encouragement after their inconsistent start.
De Zerbi has previously spoken about the need for his team to improve its physical condition and develop greater maturity in possession. Saturday's performance, in which Spurs created numerous opportunities against a Palace side defending with 10 players for most of the match, provided another positive sign.
Van Hecke is convinced there is more to come from the team under a manager he knows well.