Real Madrid defender gets fresh start under Mourinho after difficult spell last season | OneFootball

Dean Huijsen was one of the four players Real Madrid signed last summer, and the Spaniard arrived with very high hopes from the Premier League. At 20 years of age, he was not slow in gaining the admiration of the Merengue fans, as he impressed with his performances right from the FIFA Club World Cup, a competition that began only a few days after Xabi Alonso started training the team.

However, his initial good form evaporated as the season advanced, and his lowest point came almost at the midpoint of the campaign, on matchday 24, in the game against Real Sociedad, in which he conceded an unnecessary penalty. After being booed by the fans in that game, he visibly lost confidence, which was clearly apparent in his performances on the pitch.

Gradually, his conversion to a more conservative style allowed him to improve his performances, and he once again put in satisfactory performances against Manchester City in the Champions League and against Atletico Madrid in La Liga. Although not very special, he was still able to maintain a good level in the last phase of the season.

However, his poor performances also led to him missing out on the World Cup squad for Spain. Now, having relaxed during the holidays, he has already returned to Real Madrid, and worked with the new coach, Jose Mourinho.

As Diario AS has noted, the coming few weeks and the upcoming season will be crucial for Dean Huijsen, as he gets the opportunity to start from zero with the new coach. Mourinho will not entirely be new for him though, as he already worked with him at Roma. Next season, he will have to compete with another new signing, Ibrahima Konate, but the player understands that this is the time for him to prove he is ready to lead the Merengue defense.

Hopefully, he will take full advantage of the head start he is getting over players like Antonio Rudiger, Ibrahima Konate, and Eder Militao, and gain the trust of Jose Mourinho to remain a regular starter next season at Real Madrid.