Born in Belgium and raised in England, he chose to play international football for Wales, making 13 appearances.

Born in Belgium with an English mother, Van Den Hauwe was brought up in London, and joined Birmingham City as an apprentice in July 1977.

[7] As a player with British citizenship born outside the UK, eligibility rules of the time meant that Van Den Hauwe qualified to play for the national football team of any of the four Home Nations—England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

[9] Van Den Hauwe made his international début for Wales in a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 7 game versus Spain which ended with a 3–0 victory at the Racecourse Ground on 30 April 1985.

[10] On 19 June 1993 he married model Mandy Smith, the former wife of Rolling Stones' bassist Bill Wyman, but they separated two years later and divorced in 1997.