Allegri praises Juventus teenage duo: “They will have great careers”

Club News

December 19, 2023 – 7:00 pm

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri only had words of praise for his youngsters Dean Huijsen and Kenan Yildiz.

The two teenagers caught the coach’s attention last season for their displays with the Primavera and Next Gen squads.

Therefore, he decided to add them to the first team’s pre-season tour in the United States last July.

The Turk and the Dutchman made the best out of the opportunity, earning a permanent promotion to the senior squad.

This term, Huijsen and Yildiz haven’t been receiving many minutes on the pitch, but they still occasionally play in Serie C with the Next Gen.

Nevertheless, Allegri is happy with the progress and envisions a great career path for the striker and defender alike.

“To be in the first team, a young player must have technical and moral qualities, and luckily, Dean and Kenan have them. They will have great careers,” said the Juventus coach in a documentary posted on the club’s social channels via JuventusNews24.

“I took them on the US tour because every year we pick up the best youngsters. Our goal is to promote players from the youth sector to the first team.

“Huijsen is very good with his feet. He’s intelligent and confident. As for Yildiz, has great technique, plays vertically, and pays attention to the action.

“When I gave Huijsen his debut against Milan, I simply put my hand on his head. It was worth more than any words. He played calmly and always made the right choices.

“Suddenly, Dean lost his brilliance and lucidity after some mistakes with the Next Gen. But he has overcome them now.”

Allegri also recalled Yildiz’s debut against Udinese, while applauding the 18-year-old who took his advice to heart and cut his hair short.

“Against Udinese, Kenan received the ball and made excellent control. He has a natural gift. This is his strong point.

“I was pleased with the haircut because it shows he’s intelligent and listens to advice.”