Dean Huijsen rose through the ranks of Malaga as a youngster, before moving to Juventus in 2021. Through his time in Italy and Spain, he has built a skillset that vastly differs from many other young centre-backs. The 19-year-old would then develop as part of the Juventus youth system and would begin to play for the club’s reserved squad from a young age. Whilst impressing at club level, he would also play for the Netherlands and Spain in many age groups; emphasising his talent.
As he looked to develop even more, he went on loan to Roma from January 2024 to the end of the season, to gain experience in the Serie A. However, his exit from the Allianz Stadium would be confirmed in the summer as he moved to Bournemouth for a fee of around € 15 million.
Strengths
Huijsen is both-footed, which allows him to play left or right centre back and to move the ball under pressure. This versatility and adaptiveness can be crucial for sides being pressed and looking to build up play from the defence. He is also tall and athletic, which he utilises often as his height, pace and physicality prove to be the perfect foil to attackers. Many young defenders don’t possess these features and need to grow or bulk up to compete with strong attackers.
As a ball playing defender, Huijsen is at his best. With technical dribbling a strength as seen by his goal against Frosinone and also displays great passing ability from all distances. These talents allow his side to progress the ball much easier.
Goal pazzesco + esultanza alla @Cristiano 😱
Dean Huijsen 𝒙 #FrosinoneRoma pic.twitter.com/nXWmCyXdNe
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) February 19, 2024
His long passing is also a key attribute, which he uses with Diagonal passes to the wingers to create chances and unlock the opposition’s defence.
His stats on Fbref from the past 365 days against other centre-backs in Europe’s top 5 leagues also suggest his quality. For example, he is in the top 10% for touches in the opponent’s area at 1.38 per 90 and passes attempted per 90 with 82.41. Whilst being in the top 1% for progressive passes recorded at 2.59 per90. Therefore, these statistics clearly suggest why Huijsen is the perfect fit for any side in the modern game.
Why Huijsen is perfect for Iraola’s system
In his first appearance for Bournemouth against Nottingham Forest, Huijsen’s performance lived up to the expectations. He made 56 passes, with 5 being into the final third and 4 accurate long balls. This was important as retaining the ball and creating chances from the back were necessary. In addition, he also managed the challenge of veteran striker Chris Wood as he won 9/13 duels and 4 recoveries.
A key point to manager Andoni Iraola’s system is the long option, where if his side are being pressed high, the centre-back or goalkeeper can play the ball long and look for space behind opposition full-backs. The Spaniard caters to this with his long range passes being one of his strengths. This direct approach can be used against team that leave space in behind allowing the pacey Bournemouth wingers to get in behind.
Furthermore, the long passing utilised allows Iraola’s side to stretch opponents and open up space elsewhere. This can then allow the winger to pin the full back and leave space for the overlapping full-back. A further feature of his managers system is the high press which relies on turnovers, high up the pitch, which was something Dominic Solanke benefitted from last season. Winning the ball back in the final third is another reason why Huijsen is key to the Cherries style.
Conclusion
Overall, the 19-year-old has all the skills to become a talented centre-half in the future. With coaching from Iraola, he will continue to develop upon his already technical abilities and gain experience, which is crucial for a defender. Therefore, as the season continues and Huijsen adapts to the new league, he will be one to watch against world-class attackers like Erling Haaland.
