Dean Huijsen has opened up on his struggles at Real Madrid amid a frustrating debut season. The Spanish center-back arrived from Bournemouth in the summer for €58 million.
It's been a difficult start in the Spanish capital for Huijsen who was superb during his spell in the Premier League. He's looked vulnerable several times and lacked composure on the ball with fans becoming impatient with his slow adaption to La Liga football.
But there appears to be a good reason why the 20-year-old hasn't been at his best and he's eager to prove his worth for the rest of the season. He put in a fine display in Madrid's 6-1 thrashing of AS Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Huijsen on his slow Real Madrid start
Huijsen gave an honest assessment of his form since arriving at the Estadio Bernabeu when speaking after the Monaco win. He admitted he hasn't been at his best level and that he now feels fully fit to reach expectations.
The Spaniard told Marca (via Madrid Zone):
“I have been in a lot of injuries lately. One after another. I'm finally feeling well physically. I've been playing in pain for two or three months, unable to sprint well. I'm now feeling good because the level I was showing was not mine.”
Huijsen has appeared 21 times across competitions but has missed eight games through muscular and calf issues. He has often partnered Raul Asencio when appearing for Los Blancos and their partnership is still growing.
Asencio has been one of Madrid's best performers and if Huijsen can start replicating the performances shown at Bournemouth it could make for an excellent pairing. But he needs to quickly show consistency because the club won't be willing to wait long.
There are already reports suggesting the recruitment staff will be signing a new center-back in the summer. This puts pressure on the Spain international to come good and shine in the games left of this season.
How did Huijsen perform against Monaco?
Huijsen didn't have much to do against a toothless Monaco side but performed well when called upon. He made six defensive contributions, made four interceptions, one clearance, five recoveries and won both of his aerial duels.
It does feel like Huijsen needs to kick on now and cement his place in Alvaro Arbeloa's team because of the four that started in defense he was the probably the weakest. There are still doubts about his ability on the ball and whether he has the maturity to deal with the pressure at the Bernabeu.