Real Madrid beat Deportivo La Coruña 1-0 on Wednesday night, and surprisingly enough, Dean Huijsen was one of the team's best performers.
After Bernardo Silva, he was probably the second-best player on the pitch, with Eduardo Camavinga just behind him.
Real Madrid have needed him to play the way he played in the game on Wednesday, but it just has not happened consistently enough. Huijsen would have four or five great games, then hit a slump. Another couple of good games after that, then hit another slump. It is not that his talent just takes a pitfall - it is just that he starts overthinking his passes, and the way he defends becomes really pessimistic.
On Wednesday, it was good, and it might have just been the number on the back of his jersey that lifted him.
Wearing Sergio Ramos' number four would definitely have a huge impact on Dean Huijsen
Sergio Ramos is Huijsen's primary inspiration - as he has said many times - and Wednesday was the first time the player was wearing the iconic number four for Real Madrid. Ramos himself posted on his social media about Huijsen getting the number he donned for decades, and showed how happy he was about it.
That sense of pride, the added pressure and responsibility could be the reason for Huijsen's career at Real Madrid to potentially change. It has not happened yet, and basing it on one game would be quite stupid, but if he prolongs this good run and finally becomes the central defender everyone knows he can be, that would be huge for Real Madrid.
They would go from a guaranteed second-placed team, to genuine La Liga contenders, because their defense was a huge weak point last season. Huijsen needs to fix the inconsistencies, and all that is is a shift in mentality.
Sometimes, players need a push like that to understand the importance of wearing the jersey, and yes, it has only been one game, but every Real Madrid fan is hoping that Huijsen's got that push. He is still ridiculously young - only 20 years old - but when he plays well, his game does not feel like a 20 year old's. All he needs to do is stay concentrated and make sure the inconsistencies go away, and he will easily become one of the best defenders in world football.
Real Madrid fans have been wanting the club to sign a central defender because they know what they got from Huijsen last summer. However, if the Spanish centre-back finally becomes what every fan knows he can become, the need for an ew player will evaporate.
There are other factors at play here, but the essence is simple: Real Madrid need Huijsen to be good again, and the number on his back could push him to realise that.
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