José Mourinho’s demanding coaching style is bringing out a completely different side of Dean Huijsen, and the transformation is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore!
The Portuguese manager has established extremely high standards for the young Spanish defender, refusing to allow him to become comfortable with his performances. Mourinho sees enormous potential in Huijsen, but he also believes the 21-year-old must continue improving if he wants to become a world-class centre-back.
And the results are beginning to show!
One of the biggest reasons Mourinho trusts Huijsen is his outstanding ability on the ball. The defender possesses the composure, vision and passing range to help Real Madrid build attacks from deep. He can break opposition lines with intelligent passes and initiate attacking moves without constantly relying on the midfielders.
However, Mourinho wants much more than beautiful passing.
His priority is making Huijsen stronger defensively, more aggressive in individual duels, more disciplined with his positioning and better at recognising danger before it develops.
Interestingly, reports from Valdebebas suggest that Huijsen’s biggest transformation is not just happening on the pitch. His mentality, attitude and approach to responsibility are also changing.
The defeat against Real Betis reportedly provided a particularly important moment in his development. Rather than allowing disappointment to affect him, Huijsen began showing greater self-criticism and a stronger desire to correct his mistakes.
That is exactly the mentality Mourinho wants from his defenders!
And there is another interesting detail: Mourinho already knows Huijsen from their previous time together at Roma. He understands the defender’s potential and appears determined to turn that potential into consistent performances at the highest level.
Mourinho has also made it clear that a centre-back must defend first. Passing ability is an enormous bonus, but winning duels, making interceptions and giving teammates confidence are non-negotiable qualities.
The transformation is still ongoing, and nobody at Valdebebas believes Huijsen has reached his full potential.
But one thing is becoming increasingly clear: Mourinho is not simply trying to improve Huijsen’s performances. He is trying to build a defensive leader who can become a pillar of Real Madrid’s future.
Could José Mourinho be the manager who finally turns Dean Huijsen into one of the best centre-backs in world football?
