Dean Huijsen Embraces Number 4 at Real Madrid

At Real Madrid, some numbers are just digits. Number 4 is not one of them.

Dean Huijsen has chosen it with his eyes wide open. The young centre-back confirmed he will wear the historic shirt next season, describing it as the realisation of a dream that has followed him since childhood.

That dream has a name: Sergio Ramos.

As reported by Spanish newspaper Marca, Huijsen linked his decision directly to his greatest idol, the man who turned the number 4 into a symbol at the Santiago Bernabéu. As a boy, Huijsen laced up Ramos’ famous “SR4” boots, trying to copy every tackle, every leap, every celebration of the defender who became a legend for Madrid and for world football.

Now he steps into that same shirt.

Ramos did not let the moment pass in silence. The former Madrid captain sent Huijsen a message of support: “I hope it brings you many joys too.” A short line, but loaded with meaning from the last great owner of the number.

Huijsen, though, knows the legacy runs deeper than one name. He made a point of highlighting Fernando Hierro, another towering figure to have worn the 4. The connection is personal as well as professional: they share the same region of origin, something Huijsen has admitted gives the number an extra emotional weight.

Look down the recent history of that shirt and another reference appears immediately: David Alaba. The Austrian was the last man to wear the 4 before Huijsen, and the youngster has seen his standards at close quarters in the dressing room. He spoke of Alaba’s professionalism, his leadership and his constant willingness to help his team-mates — traits that have defined his time in white and set the bar for whoever comes next.

Huijsen knows exactly what he is taking on. This is not a marketing choice. It is a statement.

He publicly thanked the club, the board, the coaching staff, his team-mates and the fans for the trust they have placed in him, fully aware that the number on his back carries a history of captains, leaders and serial winners.

Accepting the responsibility, he has been clear about his aim: to write his own story, to earn the right one day to be mentioned alongside the names who made the 4 so heavy in the first place.

He finished his message with a promise that sounded less like a slogan and more like a personal contract. He would give everything, every single day, in training and in matches, to be worthy of a shirt that, at the Bernabéu, is far more than a number. It is a standard.