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With an exceptional performance: Real Madrid star dusts himself off

Dean Huijsen hasn't hidden from the disappointment of his first season at Real Madrid. Instead, the defender is determined to put it right and rediscover his best form in his second campaign at the Bernabeu.

AS newspaper reported that Huijsen knew his debut season had fallen short of expectations. He endured jeers at the Bernabeu and swallowed the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup.

This season he has dusted himself off and made the best possible start. Against Real Sociedad he was the third most prolific shooter among the Real Madrid players and a constant target from set pieces. He was also the third most frequent player to win the ball back with 4 recoveries, and he completed the most passes with 69.

Three numbers that sum up what he offered. He has a presence in the opposition penalty area, he is recovering his defensive level, and above all, coach Jose Mourinho chose him to lead the build-up from the back.

During the 4-1 win over Sociedad, Huijsen was the most involved player in the team, intervening on 92 occasions. That put him ahead of Bernardo Silva (88) and a long way clear of the next man, Valverde (69).

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The mental side and intensive physical work to regain his level
Huijsen's turnaround owes much to the mental side. He threw himself into intensive work to rebuild his self-confidence, to fight his way back and to keep grafting through the difficult circumstances rather than drifting with the current.
Physical work proved just as decisive, and the summer played a big part. The players who missed the World Cup earned a very long rest period, seven weeks of holiday in all.
Huijsen seized the chance to draw up a personal training plan and push on physically. He trained at the Marbella Football Center, putting in long sessions and sometimes two a day, focusing on his fitness and building muscle mass.
All that sweat had one purpose: to make up for the bitterness of last season. He began it as an indispensable first-choice player and ended it out of the side, having lost his place to Rüdiger and Militão.
The numbers tell the story. Huijsen featured in just 51% of the available minutes since the last international break in March.

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Højbjerg has become more solid
Inside Valdebebas, they praise Huijsen's physical improvement and his daily attitude in training. He looks "more solid," a nod to the step he has taken on an individual level.
After starting well and shaking off a minor pre-season injury, Huijsen has become a regular for Mourinho. He forms a defensive wall alongside Konaté and sits ahead of Rüdiger in the pecking order.
That position gets harder once Militão returns. The comeback is no longer far off, but nor does it look imminent.
Now Huijsen carries the promise of putting things right after a first season that failed to justify the 58 million euros paid to sign him, a fee that made him the most expensive defender in the club's history.