Despite his inconsistent form: Real Madrid star convinces Mourinho to start the La Liga campaign

Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen rediscovered his best form in the last two friendlies before the season, against Deportivo La Coruña and Schalke, netting a goal in the latter.

According to Spanish newspaper "AS", Huijsen looked back to his best in retaining possession, showing greater decisiveness in duels and holding his concentration throughout both matches.

Real Madrid paid 58 million euros to sign the 21-year-old last summer, and he is back. With only three defenders available, he is expected to start the league opener against Espanyol next Saturday.

A muscle injury kept him out of the first friendly against Fiorentina (2-2). Huijsen then played his first 45 minutes in the second half against Ferencváros, and four days later Real Madrid returned to the Teresa Herrera Trophy for the first time in 13 years, winning 1-0 over Deportivo. The Netherlands-born defender played the full 90 minutes, featuring alongside Rüdiger in the first half and Mario Rivas in the second.

Against Schalke (3-0), the Spanish defender played 84 minutes and scored the second goal of the match.

A year ago, Real Madrid decided to sign a young centre-back from Bournemouth, prized for his composure and excellent control of the ball. Huijsen began his Madrid career proving exactly that: his authority and talent with the ball at his feet.

As the months passed, though, those qualities faded along with the team's performance overall. Now he is back. This pre-season has been his best, leading the defensive line and becoming the most ready first-choice defender. Sharing the pitch with all the available centre-backs, he adapted perfectly to each of them, according to the Spanish newspaper.

Against Deportivo, Huijsen was the pillar of Real Madrid's defence. Focused throughout, he intervened forcefully in duels and never hesitated to build attacks from the back. These are the qualities that made him one of the most promising defenders in world football, qualities that had seemed to fade during his first season at the Bernabéu.

David Alaba's departure at the start of this second season freed up the legendary number 4 shirt, the number with which Sergio Ramos built his legend.

The young defender did not hesitate. He requested it, stating after the Schalke match: "I have always dreamed of wearing the number 4. My role model was Sergio Ramos, and for me, it is a dream come true".

Huijsen begins the season needing to recover his level and prove he can lead Real Madrid's defence once again. So far, pre-season has been good news for coach José Mourinho, who worked with him previously at Roma.

Injuries ravaged the defensive line last season, yet Huijsen was still the most-used defender, with 40 matches.

His remarkable return to form comes at just the right time for a team beginning the league short of defenders. His main task now is to hold on to that confidence, so the Bernabéu crowd can once again enjoy the version of Real Madrid that delighted them a year ago.