Dean Huijsen has become one of José Mourinho’s non-negotiables as Madrid’s European season gathers pace, with the Spanish international completing every available minute of the opening five-match run and establishing himself at the centre of the coach’s defensive plans.
| Metric | Huijsen’s figure |
|---|---|
| Matches played this season | 5 |
| Minutes played | 450 |
| Duels won against Inter | 4 of 9 |
| Aerial duels won against Inter | 2 |
| Clearances against Inter | 12 |
| Schalke friendly score, when he scored | 0-2 |
Mourinho is working closely with Huijsen, the only member of the current Madrid squad he had coached before. The defender says that relationship has driven his improvement after a demanding first campaign in the Spanish capital, which began when he was only 20. “Mourinho is constantly on me,” Huijsen said after the Inter match. “He pushes me hard so that I improve and take the step forward I feel I am taking. It is positive because he knows what I can do. He helps me a great deal and I am happy.”
Dean Huijsen becomes Mourinho’s defensive constant
The 20-year-old has inherited Madrid’s number 4 shirt, vacated by David Alaba and previously worn by Sergio Ramos, Huijsen’s childhood idol. In the closing stages of pre-season, he described wearing it as a dream, saying Ramos had always been the player he admired most.
He had already begun to understand the simple demand Mourinho places upon him. “He asks me to be solid as a centre-back,” Huijsen said. That requirement has become increasingly significant as Madrid moved into tougher Champions League-level opposition, including Inter and Betis.
Against Inter, Huijsen was tested by Lautaro Martínez but came through a difficult individual contest. He won four of his nine duels, including two in the air, and made 12 clearances — more than twice the total recorded by either Marc Cucurella or Ibrahima Konaté. It was an evening when he had less opportunity to advance the ball or influence play in possession than in earlier matches, but he supplied precisely the resilient defending Mourinho wants.
There was also a late chance against Betis, when Huijsen struck the post and nearly salvaged a point. His growing authority, however, has chiefly come from the defensive side of his game.
“I like centre-backs who can defend,” Mourinho said after the Málaga game. “If they are also stylish and good with the ball, then excellent, but defending comes first. He is improving in that area. I have seen a good progression. The player next to him helps too, and Konaté and Rüdiger contribute.”
Konaté partnership offers a platform
Konaté has been Huijsen’s most frequent partner, starting beside him in four of Madrid’s five matches so far. Huijsen has welcomed the support of the French defender, describing him after the Inter tie as a formidable presence.
“Konaté is an animal,” he said. “He defends very well and is good on the ball as well. He is strong, quick and tall, and he attacks challenges well. I think we work well together.”
Only Huijsen and Thibaut Courtois have played all 450 minutes of Madrid’s campaign after Kylian Mbappé was substituted in the Champions League. Huijsen has barely been removed since receiving his first minutes in the second half against Ferencváros. Mourinho rested him for just four minutes in the final friendly against Schalke, a match in which the defender scored Madrid’s second goal in a 2-0 win.
For Mourinho, Huijsen’s rise offers a reliable defensive foundation for the continental weeks ahead: a young centre-back carrying a historic number, learning alongside experienced partners and increasingly trusted to play every decisive minute.
SEO Title: Dean Huijsen becomes Mourinho’s ever-present at Madrid
SEO Description: Dean Huijsen has played all 450 minutes of Madrid’s opening five matches as José Mourinho builds his Champions League defence around the young Spanish centre-back.
