Dean Huijsen Takes Over Real Madrid's Iconic No. 4 Shirt

Dean Huijsen didn’t just get a new squad number. He walked straight into one of the heaviest shirts in Real Madrid history.

With the departures of veterans like Dani Carvajal and David Alaba at the end of the 2025-26 season, a reshaped Madrid needed new standard-bearers. One number, in particular, stood out on the list when the squad numbers were confirmed: 4. Alaba had just vacated it. Before him, Sergio Ramos had turned it into a symbol. Before Ramos, Fernando Hierro had already written chapters in white.

Now it belongs to a 21-year-old centre-back who grew up wanting nothing else.

A childhood built around a number

For Dean Huijsen, this wasn’t a random allocation. It was the end of a long chase.

The young defender went straight to social media after the announcement, calling it the fulfilment of a childhood dream. As a boy, he didn’t just watch Sergio Ramos. He copied him. He wore the SR4 boots. He imagined himself in that same shirt, in that same stadium, with that same number on his back.

"It was always my dream to play for Real Madrid and wear the number 4. When I was a kid, my biggest idol was Sergio Ramos, who wore the number 4 and was a true legend for Real Madrid and for world football," he wrote.

"I still remember playing in his cleats, the SR4s, because I wanted to be just like him."

For many players, a number is a detail. For Huijsen, it has been a compass.

Ramos, Hierro, Alaba – and the weight of legacy

The connection to Ramos is obvious. The former captain turned the No. 4 into one of the most recognisable shirts of the modern era at the Bernabéu, a number associated with late headers, Champions League nights, and a defiant, snarling kind of leadership. When Huijsen announced he would inherit it, Ramos himself replied with a simple blessing: "I hope it brings you a lot of joy too."

But Huijsen’s tribute went deeper than one idol.

He name-checked Fernando Hierro as well, another pillar of Real Madrid’s defensive history, another No. 4 who combined authority with elegance. For Huijsen, the link is personal. Hierro is from Málaga, just like him, and that shared origin adds another layer to the responsibility he now feels.

"Before him, another football legend, Fernando Hierro, wore that number for Real Madrid and for soccer worldwide, but it feels even more special to me because he's from Málaga, just like me," he wrote.

And then there is David Alaba, the man he directly succeeds. Huijsen didn’t just inherit Alaba’s shirt; he shared a dressing room with him last season, watched his professionalism up close, and learned what it means to carry that number in this era of the club.

"Later, another great football legend wore it, and I had the pleasure of sharing the locker room with him. I want to thank the club, the president, the coach, the players, and all the fans of this great club."

Three different defenders. Three different eras. One number that keeps threading them together.

Mourinho’s new pillar

All of this history doesn’t land on a player by accident. Real Madrid chose to give Huijsen the No. 4 because they believe he can live with it.

Under José Mourinho, the Spain international is expected to become a central figure in the defensive structure. At 21, he has the profile the club craves: technically sound, confident on the ball, and bold enough to embrace the pressure that comes with a shirt like this.

Huijsen knows exactly what he’s stepping into.

"I know this jersey number has a history filled with legends, and I hope I can write my own story—and that one day people will consider me worthy of having worn this jersey and this number.

"What I do know is that I'll give it my all every single day, whether it's in training or in a match."

No promises, no bravado. Just a clear statement of intent.

A number, a statement, a test

At Real Madrid, some shirts are just numbers. Others are statements.

The No. 4 sits firmly in the second category. Hierro gave it authority. Ramos turned it into an icon. Alaba kept the line unbroken. Now Huijsen steps in, fully aware that every tackle, every mistake, every big-game moment will be judged against the ghosts who wore it before him.

The club has made its bet. The talent is there. The personality, by all accounts, is there too.

From this season on, the story of Real Madrid’s No. 4 will be written by Dean Huijsen. The only question left is how far he can push that legacy in the 2026-27 campaign and beyond.