Dean Huijsen forced to deny claim of marijuana addiction as £46m Real Madrid target explains why he has 'sleepy eyes'

The 19-year-old defender has rocketed to fame in the last year, sealing a Premier League move after impressing on loan at Roma last season. His performances with Bournemouth earned him a call up to the Spain squad and he made his debut against Netherlands - the country of his birth - in the Nations League last week and he has even been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Despite his on-field heroics, the Amsterdam-born defender was asked if he smokes cannabis when he appeared on a podcast, with host Matthew Pincus saying Huijsen looks "pretty medicated on weed".

"Basically, for everyone watching, I have sleepy eyes," he said. "I have it from my mum because my mum has sleepy eyes. I'm not high. I'm sorry, I'm not high. We're not allowed to take weed, it's doping control. I'm not high. It's how I was born. I can't do anything about it."

Fresh off of his first two Spain appearances, Huijsen and Bournemouth are gearing up for an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Manchester City on Sunday.