Huijsen’s rapid rise in 2025 has been nothing short of remarkable. The 20-year-old joined Los Blancos in the summer after an impressive season in the Premier League with Bournemouth. He immediately became a key player under new coach Alonso, having started all 13 matches he has been available for across La Liga and the Champions League so far and becoming a regular in the starting XI for the national team under Luis de la Fuente.
Madrid, who sit at the top of La Liga with a refreshed squad under Alonso, continue to face huge expectations, and Huijsen has learned quickly what pressure looks like inside Valdebebas.
He also acknowledged what it means to have an off-day at Madrid: “At Real Madrid, if you have a bad game, it creates panic, but the season is long. You have to stay calm.”
This pressure is magnified for personalities like Vinicius Jr, whose every reaction is dissected. Yamal, meanwhile, is now navigating a similar reality at Barcelona, becoming a generational hope for club and country at just 18. Both players remain key to their clubs’ attacking identities, and Huijsen’s message suggests that even teammates recognise the media’s tendency to exaggerate narratives around them.