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Paolo Montero managed the Juventus Under-19 team when Kenan Yildiz and Dean Huijsen were progressing through the club’s youth system. Both players eventually proved too good for that level and the Next Gen team before reaching the highest level of the game.
Yildiz is now regarded as one of the most valuable players in Serie A, while Huijsen has become a starter for Real Madrid. Both are examples of talented players developed at Juventus who have gone on to become major stars.
Yildiz is particularly important to the Bianconeri, who now view him as their leading player. Montero could already see during his time with the youth team that the Turkish international had the qualities required to reach the top.
Montero praises Yildiz and Huijsen
Yildiz is now attracting interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world, and Juventus may struggle to keep him in Turin throughout his career unless the club can provide the trophies he wants.
Huijsen is also regularly representing Spain, meaning both players have fulfilled the potential they showed as youngsters. Speaking via Calciomercato, Montero explained what stood out about them:
“They had the right mentality. I’ve never seen them go at full speed in training. They gave it all they could. Talent is a gift from nature, but believe me, it’s not enough. Hard work is the key that turns promising players into top performers. And those two worked like animals. Plus, they had remarkable quality.”
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Work ethic made the difference
Montero believes talent alone cannot guarantee success. Yildiz and Huijsen combined their natural ability with an exceptional attitude towards training, which helped them progress faster than many of their peers.
The former Juventus defender also saw their desire to improve away from matches. They were curious, listened carefully and worked intensely during every session.
That dedication helped transform two promising youngsters into established stars. Juventus will hope Yildiz continues to follow the same path in Turin and eventually leads the club back to the success it enjoyed in the past.