Dean Huijsen has taken to the Real Madrid team like a duck to water. He has blended in effortlessly and plays as if he was born to wear the white shirt of Los Blancos.
He defends brilliantly, intercepts the ball with ease, and covers space in ways many before him could not. His positioning, in particular, is something I admire, it's simply too sharp to go unspoken.
But the highlight of his three games with Real Madrid so far is undoubtedly his passing, which has already earned him praise and some legendary comparisons.
What started on social media has now entered the dressing room.
In a recent interview, via MadridZone on X, Fede Valverde spoke about the new centre-back and had glowing words for the Spaniard.
He said, “Dean Huijsen carries the ball very well and gave a pass like Toni Kroos.”
Dean Huijsen’s passing is his most standout trait
Huijsen brings a lot to the table. He’s a generational defender, someone you don’t want to be up against in a 1v1. He’s tall, extremely so, and he uses that height smartly. If he’s marking you on a corner, forget about getting a touch. He’s already cleared it or launched it forward.
But if there’s one thing that truly sets Huijsen apart, it’s his passing.
He’s not the kind of player you want to give any space to. Because if he sees a channel open, he will use it before you’ve even realized it was there.
His line-breaking passes are stunning and effective, and instantly bring to mind memories of Toni Kroos and his magical playmaking.
Real Madrid fans know just how much the team missed Kroos last season, especially during some lacklustre stretches. Things would have looked very different had the German maestro not retired.
The team still has quality creative midfielders, yes, but very few with the ability to dictate play single-handedly like Kroos could.
Huijsen is beginning to reflect aspects of that rare profile. He has Kroos’ vision and, more importantly, the ability to act decisively on the spaces that vision reveals. He also has the numbers that bolster this position.
This is fantastic news for Real Madrid. They now have not just an elite defender but also a high-level passer from the back, a profile they’ve been missing for far too long.