"You can imagine the size of Real Madrid, but living is different"

Dean Huijsen has been one of Real Madrid's signings this summer, and the Spanish centre-back has hit the ground running at the Spanish club. The former Bournemouth centre-back has been on cloud nine since joining the 15-time Champions League winners, as he explained in an interview with 'Marca' while at the Spanish national team's training camp.

"You can imagine the size of Real Madrid, but living is different. You really realize what this club means," he said. The 20-year-old defender also revealed that Sergio Ramos has always been his idol. "Sergio Ramos has always been my idol. I think his ball-playing ability was underrated. Everyone talked about his aggressiveness or his goals, but he was also a great passer."

Huijsen also spoke about the whistles he endured during Spain's victory over the Netherlands in the Nations League quarter-finals, as he decided to choose “La Roja” instead of playing for the “Oranje”. "The whistles vs Netherlands? I kind of expected it. It didn’t affect me too much. I even see it as something positive: if people get angry and whistle at you, it also means that they care."

Finally, the young centre-back spoke about the high standards at Real Madrid and the exposure to criticism. "I don’t mind criticism. I’m happy to accept anything that helps me improve even by 1%. Football is all about the details and you have to be prepared," he concluded.