Dean Huijsen (Amsterdam, 2005) has Spanish nationality since this Wednesday. The name of the Dutch center back on loan from Juventus to Roma He appears in the Official State Gazette as one of the people who has received the nature letter. It was the same method that was used in his day to nationalize Robin Le Normand, also a center back, but born in France and settled in the senior team led by Luis de la Fuente.
The idea is that Dean Huijsen makes it to the March call-up of the under-21 team led by Santi Denia. Dean Huijsen would make his debut against Slovakia in Jerez de la Frontera (March 22) or against Belgium in Almería (March 26). The most immediate goal is for him to be part of the team that competes in the Paris Olympics this summer.
Allegri: “He has the serenity of a 30-year-old player”
Huijsen represented the Netherlands at under-16, under-17 and under-18 levels. and became European runner-up with the ‘Oranje’. However, training football does not close doors like the one that Spain has just opened. On the other hand, a possible return to the Dutch team has just been closed, because FIFA only allows a change of selection if the footballer has played an official match in the youth team of a country.
Huijsen’s movement is one more of those that occur in a globalized football where teams are choosing to ‘sign’ players with roots or raised in the countries they will represent. As is happening with Brahim, wanted by Morocco, but who will end up playing with Spain.
The Federation had been following a footballer for a long time who moved to Marbella with his family when he was barely five years old. He is the son of the former player as well. Donny Huijsen, trained at Ajax, where he met Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert. Dean Huijsen went through the Málaga CF youth academy, which was unable to retain him due to the call from Juventus, with whom he has just renewed his contract until 2028.
After climbing the ranks of the ‘Vecchia Signora’, he made his debut in October of last year with the Turin first team. He went against Milan, led by Massimiliano Allegri. “He has special abilities, he can become a great center back. He has played with the serenity of a 30-year-old player“said the Italian coach about his debut.
Goal and star celebration against Frosinone
In the last winter market, Roma obtained the loan of the promising center back. He did it without a purchase option and after the insistence of José Mourinho. The team from the capital had to put 700,000 euros on the table to acquire the services of the recently nationalized Spaniard. The Portuguese was barely able to enjoy Dean Huijsen for a few days due to his premature dismissal.
Dean Huijsen faces a rival after his controversial celebration at Frosinone – Roma. / FEDERICO PROIETTI / EFE
However, it was enough for the Portuguese to reaffirm his idea. “He is an 18-year-old boy who has played 10 minutes in Serie A, but he is one of the highest quality footballers in Europe at his age. There is no doubt: he will be one of the stars of the future“, defended Mourinho. His successor on the Olympic bench, Daniele De Rossi, has continued to trust in the future Spanish international. In the seven games he has played with Roma he has scored two goalswhich demonstrate their good arrival.
The last match against Frosinone was one of the highlights of last day. Also for his celebration, silencing the stands of the team that was about to hire him in winter. A sample of the central defender’s personality that was criticized and praised in equal measure.
Dean Huijsen caught the ball practically in his field and went straight to the rival area. After escaping up to six rivals, he placed the ball in the top corner with a clean hit from the edge of the box.. His teammates put their hands on their heads for the courage the center-back showed in driving and finishing.
Huijsen and Cubarsí, center backs for the future of the national team
Dean Huijsen, a lanky and very tall center back (1.95 meters), had already demonstrated these skills in ‘Spring’ football, as the category in which the reserves play is called. Play like the ancient liberos, figure that perfectly represented the recently deceased Franz Beckenbauer.
Despite his young age (18 years old), Huijsen has managed to knock down the door of professional football from a position as compromised as the axis of the defense. In fact, It is the most sensitive part of Luis de la Fuente’s Spanish team. Hence the nationalizations of Laporte or Le Normand.
However, in the current campaign, uncalled center backs such as Igor Zubeldia (Real society), Dani Vivian (Athletic Club) o Beautiful Mario (Athletic). In the youth group that Dean Huijsen is already part of, other names appear such as Pau Cubarsi, a defender who has broken into the first team of FC Barcelona. Player projects that are already a reality for national team football in Spain.
Dean Huijsen, with the Netherlands team at the U-17 European Championship in Israel. / ABIR SULTAN / EFE