Just one year ago, Huijsen was a little-known teenage center back who found himself surplus to requirements at Juventus after spending the final two months of his Roma loan spell on the bench. Fast-forward to today, he's now a vital cog for both Real Madrid as well as the Spain national team.
Born in Amsterdam, Huijsen moved to Spain at the age of five and spent his adolescence there before moving to Italy in 2021 and joining Juve's academy.
He spent three years in Turin but never quite managed to break into the first team before making the move to English side Bournemouth, who signed him for an initial fee of €15.2 million.
Despite impressing on his Premier League debut, winning nine aerial duels in a 1-1 draw vs. Nottingham Forest, Huijsen spent his months on the bench until Marcos Senesi suffered a quadriceps injury in November 30, putting him out of action for four months.
By the time he had recovered, Huijsen had emerged as an instrumental figure in Bournemouth's backline alongside Ilya Zabarnyi, forcing Senesi to bide his time as a substitute for the home stretch of the campaign.
"I think [Huijsen] has a bright future," stated Senesi in an exclusive RG interview. "He's a good player, a good guy, so I hope and I wish he does a good job over there and stays at Real Madrid for many years."
Dean Huijsen on track to become one of the world's best defenders
These performances drew the attention of the Spanish national team who convinced him to switch over from the Netherlands and represent La Roja at the senior level.
Huijsen was immediately thrust into the starting line-up and helped them edge his motherland in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals, beating France in the semifinal before losing to Portugal on penalties.
They also attracted the interest of Real Madrid, who decided to trigger his £50 million release clause and sign him one week before the end of the Premier League season, acquiring him in time for the FIFA Club World Cup.
The 20-year-old immediately impressed under new manager Xabi Alonso, excelling in a back four and a back three and starting in every single game until the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal vs. Borussia Dortmund, when he was sent off in the 96th minute for a last-man tackle.
His presence was sorely missed as Real Madrid were subject to a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinal, but since then, he's managed to make up for his expulsion with a couple of stellar displays at the back.
He kicked off the 2025/26 season with a Man of the Match display vs. Osasuna, completing 16 out of 17 long balls, registering 7 clearances, and winning 5 out of 7 ground duels, in addition of managing 2 key passes in a 1-0 win vs. Osasuna.
It was more of the same in his second LaLiga match at newly promoted Real Oviedo. In a rotated side that saw Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold start on the bench, Huijsen slotted into the backline alongside Alvaro Carreras, Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger and held his own both on and off the ball, winning four out of six ground duels, completing 3 out of 4 long balls, and making 6 clearances in a 3-0 win.
Dean Huijsen may have grown up idolizing Sergio Ramos, but today, he has the chance to follow in Ramos' footsteps by becoming the next great Spanish center back for Real Madrid.