Dean Huijsen’s move to Real Madrid from Bournemouth has brought back memories of his time under José Mourinho at Roma.
The young defender, who holds both Dutch and Spanish nationality, has had a whirlwind career, moving from Málaga to Juventus in 2021, and then being loaned to Roma in 2023.
It was during his stint at Roma that he caught Mourinho’s eye, who saw potential in the then 18-year-old and gave him his professional debut in January 2024.
Mourinho had been keen on Huijsen, even before he joined Roma.
The Portuguese manager had already shown his interest in the young defender during a Juventus-Roma match on December 30, when he gave Huijsen a special hug on the sidelines.
This was followed by a Christmas Eve phone call from Mourinho, convincing Huijsen to join Roma instead of Frosinone, promising him game time.
At Roma, Huijsen made three appearances under Mourinho before the manager was replaced by De Rossi.
Mourinho had high praise for Huijsen, saying he was one of the most talented center-backs in Europe and had no doubt he would become one of the best in the world.
After his loan spell at Roma ended, Huijsen was approached by Tiago Pinto, who had worked with Mourinho at Roma and was now at Bournemouth.
He made 34 appearances for Bournemouth, scoring three goals, before making the move to Real Madrid.
Huijsen’s journey is a testament to the impact Mourinho had on his career, and it’s interesting to see how his time under the Portuguese manager helped shape his path to becoming a top-class defender.