Ex-Roma defender Dean Huijsen: “I learned a lot from Mourinho and De Rossi.”

Former Roma defender Dean Huijsen looked back on his brief loan spell in the Italian capital.

It was there, at Roma, that Huijsen was given the chance to prove himself in senior football and make his permanent move to Bournemouth in the summer from Juve.

In an interview with AS, Huijsen said, “With Mourinho we talked a lot about tactics. Obviously it was a big leap for me, because I had never played much at a professional level.”

“I learned a lot from Mourinho and De Rossi,” he added. “They guided me.”

“I made my debut against Milan in a packed San Siro. When I play I have a lot of confidence in myself. And on my debut I couldn’t wait to get on the pitch.”

“When I silenced the crowd at Frosinone? They whistled at me every time I had the ball. They were angry with me (before going to Roma he was one step away from a loan move to Frosinone, ed.). I scored and I freed myself with that celebration.”

“Would I do that gesture again? No, but that’s what I did. The yellow card wasn’t necessary.”