Dean Huijsen has been another Jose Mourinho miracle

It has only been a few games to start the season, but Real Madrid have seen plenty of success stories, when compared to the season before.

There were many players who were not performing at a high level consistently, or made many errors and were overthinking their decisions.

Dean Huijsen was one of those players. He was signed as a highly rated central defender from Bournemouth in the summer of 2025, and the hope was for the Spaniard to become a mainstay in Real Madrid's defense.

He started off well, but there were so many games where he looked complacent, or made a bad defensive error. He even had spells of severe inconsistency and mediocracy, which led to him not playing as much. The fitness issues were also there, and they certainly did not help.

Dean Huijsen has looked amazing for Real Madrid

This season, though, it seems like Huijsen has taken a step back in the best possible way. He is no longer making those rash decisions. He is no longer trying to find an outrageous pass in every attempt. He is playing the simple passes well, and he looks good doing it.

It has only been three games, but Huijsen's defensive solidity has also improved. Jose Mourinho, in such a short span of time, has already worked his magic on the Spanish international, and he looks much better than how he was at so many points last season.

Huijsen looks stronger, more patient, and is doing the fundamentals right. He is not trying to find himself any highlight reels with outrageously good passing and last-ditch tackles; he is doing what he needs to at a good, good rate.

It is really surprising that it only took such little time for Mourinho to get through to Huijsen. The Portuguese manager has been clear about the talent Huijsen has for a very long time, so to see him closely and work with him is going to be beneficial for the central defender.

Mourinho's talent ID is very rarely wrong, which is exactly why he knows what the player can do to take his game to the next level, which Huijsen seems to have done. He also which buttons to press, which would lead him to his destination quicker.

There is a long season ahead, which means Huijsen still has a lot of time to go back to his old ways, but with Mourinho always communicating with him, it does not seem like the player can afford to do so.

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