Dean Huijsen wins Cherries player of the month award

AFC Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen has been announced as the Cherries player of the month for December.

Huijsen played 90 minutes in all six of Bournemouth’s December fixtures, picking up the player-of-the-match award twice, in home fixtures against Crystal Palace and Tottenham respectively. 

The 19-year-old signed for the Cherries on a six year deal, for an initial £12.8 million, in the summer from Italian giants Juventus. 

Since his move to the South Coast, the Spaniard has proved influential for Andoni Iraola’s side, recently cementing his starting place, after Marcos Senesi underwent surgery for a torn quadricep back in November. 

The youngster has managed to contribute to four clean sheets in his ten starts this season, making a total of 15 appearances in red and black, highlighting the true extent of the bargain Huijsen really is. 

Sky Sports reporter, Mark McAdam shared his thoughts on the defender, he said: “Bournemouth is the perfect place to develop for a young player, and Dean has been outstanding since joining.

“The impact he’s shown with his aerial ability, athleticism, you can just see exactly why Bournemouth wanted to sign him and he’s coming from a place [Juventus] which is one of the greatest institutions in European football and it’s showing just how good the recruitment has been at Bournemouth.”

He continued: “Bournemouth is about giving young players a place to showcase their ability on the biggest stage, which is an opportunity Dean Huijsen is absolutely taking.

“Ultimately, I’m excited about what he can do for Bournemouth and I’m excited to watch his career development, based on the way he’s playing, he’ll be playing in the Premier League, Champions League and internationally. 

“Hopefully he’s at Bournemouth for a good few years to come but you can understand why, at this early stage, there will be a number of teams talking about him as one to watch and one for the future.”

McAdam also commented on youngsters Max Kinsey and Ben Winterburn, and their progression into the first team: “They’re two outstanding talents with a lot of potential, Andoni’s prepared to gamble and put them in the environment.

“He [Iraola] clearly believes they’re ready for the step up, the system at Bournemouth is all about the club and an understanding of the heritage and history. 

“It’s obvious the system is clearly working, and they’re learning what it means to represent the football club. 

“Ben is being trusted in the advanced midfield role, and in an Iraola side that’s an incredibly important position.”