Destined Moment: Dean Huijsen Makes His Debut for Spain Against His Birth Country

Dean Huijsen of Spain expressed that it was “meant to be” after making his professional debut for Spain against the Netherlands, the country of his birth.

The 19-year-old Huijsen was born in April 2005 in Amsterdam but relocated to Spain at the age of five. His father, Donny Huijsen, had a career playing for clubs such as Ajax and HFC Haarlem before hanging up his boots in the late 1990s.

After representing the Netherlands at various youth levels, Huijsen opted to play for Spain at the senior level during his loan stint at AS Roma from Juventus. He has since joined Bournemouth and made his debut for the Spanish national team last week.

“It seems it was destined for me to make my debut for Spain against the Netherlands,” Huijsen stated. “My family was in the stands, including my father. I believe he also made his debut for Ajax at De Kuip.”

Huijsen came on to replace the injured Pau Cubarsi in the first half, greeted by a chorus of boos from the home crowd. However, the young defender remained unfazed by the hostile reception.

“That’s just part of the game. It’s football. It seems they acknowledge my decision and lament that I didn’t choose the Netherlands. So, in a way, that’s quite flattering.”

The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Mikel Merino scoring a late equaliser for Spain. The teams will meet again for their UEFA Nations League quarter-final clash on Sunday at Valencia’s Estadio Mestalla.