Tom Huddlestone facts for kids
Huddlestone playing for Hull City in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Andrew Huddlestone | ||
| Date of birth | 28 December 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Birmingham City (first team assistant coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Nottingham Forest | |||
| –2002 | Derby County | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2005 | Derby County | 88 | (0) |
| 2005–2013 | Tottenham Hotspur | 144 | (8) |
| 2005–2006 | → Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2013–2017 | Hull City | 135 | (6) |
| 2017–2020 | Derby County | 79 | (3) |
| 2021–2022 | Hull City | 11 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 470 | (18) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2002 | England U16 | 7 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | England U17 | 6 | (0) |
| 2004 | England U19 | 3 | (0) |
| 2005 | England U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 2005–2009 | England U21 | 33 | (5) |
| 2009–2012 | England | 4 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2024 | Manchester United Academy (Under-21 coach) | ||
| 2024 | Wigan Athletic (first team coach) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Andrew Huddlestone, born on December 28, 1986, is a former English professional footballer. He now works as a first team assistant coach for Birmingham City. Huddlestone played as a defensive midfielder, a player who helps protect the defense and win the ball back.
He started his career at Derby County in 2003. He quickly became a key player there. In 2005, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. He also spent some time on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
After many years at Tottenham, he joined Hull City in 2013. He helped Hull reach the 2014 FA Cup final and qualify for Europe. He later returned to Derby County and then had a second spell at Hull City. His playing career ended at Manchester United, where he also coached their Under-21 team.
Huddlestone played for England at various youth levels. He made his debut for the senior England squad in 2009. He played four times for his country.
Contents
Tom Huddlestone's Football Journey
Starting Out at Derby County
Tom Huddlestone was born in Nottingham, England. He first joined Nottingham Forest as a young player. However, he left them at age 12 because they thought he wasn't "strong enough."
He then joined Derby County. He quickly improved and played for Derby County's reserve team at just 15 years old. His first team debut came at 16 in 2003. Even though Derby struggled that season, Tom was a standout player. His coach, George Burley, praised his amazing passing skills.
He played 43 league matches in his first full season. In the 2004–05 season, Derby reached the play-offs but lost. Halfway through that season, Tom signed with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He stayed at Derby until the end of the season. He played 95 games for Derby County without scoring a goal.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
In 2005, Huddlestone spent a few months on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored his first league goal while there, against his old club Derby. He then made his debut for Tottenham in January 2006.
His first start for Tottenham was in September 2006 in a UEFA Cup match. He scored his first goals for Tottenham in a League Cup game in November 2006. He scored two goals, including the winning goal in extra time. He scored his first league goal for Tottenham in December 2006 with a powerful shot.
Tom became a promising young midfielder for Tottenham. His coach, Martin Jol, even compared him to the famous German player Franz Beckenbauer. This was because of his great passing, strong shots, and ability to play in different positions.
He signed new contracts with Tottenham in 2006, 2008, and 2010. He helped Tottenham win the League Cup in 2008. He became a regular player under manager Harry Redknapp. However, he had many injury problems during the 2011–12 season. He played only four games that year. He returned for the 2012–13 season. He received a red card in one match, but it was later removed.
Adventures with Hull City
On August 14, 2013, Huddlestone joined Hull City. He made his debut on the first day of the 2013–14 season. On December 28, he scored his first goal for Hull in a big 6–0 win. This was his first goal since April 2011.
In January 2014, Tom even had to play as an emergency goalkeeper! Hull's main goalkeeper was sent off, and they had no more substitutions. So, Tom stepped in to play in goal.
He scored a goal in Hull's 5–3 FA Cup semi-final win in April 2014. He also played in the 2014 FA Cup final against Arsenal. Hull lost 3–2 after extra time. He signed a new two-year deal with Hull in 2016.
Coming Back to Derby County
On July 15, 2017, Huddlestone returned to his old club, Derby County. He signed a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for Derby in a 3–0 win in February 2018. This was more than 14 years after his first debut for the club!
He left Derby County in July 2020 after they could not agree on a new contract.
Second Time at Hull City
On August 17, 2021, Huddlestone rejoined Hull City for a second time. He signed a one-year contract. He made his debut the next day as a substitute. He left Hull City at the end of the 2021–22 season.
Coaching and Playing at Manchester United
On August 2, 2022, Huddlestone signed with Manchester United. His main role was to be a player-coach for their Under-21 team. He took over from Paul McShane in this position.
He left Manchester United in June 2024. On July 2, 2024, Tom Huddlestone announced he was retiring from playing football.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Tom Huddlestone quickly moved into coaching full-time. On July 2, 2024, he was named a first team coach at EFL League One club Wigan Athletic. He also joined the coaching staff for the England U21s in August 2024. In September 2024, Huddlestone left Wigan Athletic to join Birmingham City as a coach.
Playing for England
Youth Teams
Tom Huddlestone played for England at many youth levels. He played for the Under-17 and Under-19 teams. He was a regular player for the England Under-21s from 2005 to 2009. He played 33 games for the Under-21 team.
He played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He was sent off in a play-off match in 2008, which meant he missed the main tournament due to injury.
Senior Team
In 2009, Tom was called up to the senior England squad for the first time. He made his debut in a friendly match against Brazil in November 2009. He came on as a substitute.
He played in two more friendly matches in 2010 before the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was part of the preliminary World Cup squad but was not chosen for the final team. His last appearance for England was in 2012.
How Tom Huddlestone Played
Tom Huddlestone was known for his excellent passing skills. This led some people to compare him to former Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle. He also had a very powerful shot. This allowed him to score goals from far away when playing in midfield.
Personal Life and Charity Work
In April 2011, after scoring a goal for Tottenham against Arsenal, Tom Huddlestone made a promise. He said he would not cut his hair until he scored another goal. This was to raise money for charity.
It took him two and a half years and 55 matches to score again! He finally scored for Hull against Fulham in December 2013. Because of this challenge, he raised over £57,000 for Cancer Research UK.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Derby County | 2002–03 | First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| 2003–04 | First Division | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05 | Championship | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 0 | |
| Total | 88 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 95 | 0 | ||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2005–06 | Premier League | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 43 | 4 | |
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | — | 43 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| Total | 144 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 34 | 2 | 209 | 15 | ||
| Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan) | 2005–06 | Championship | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| Hull City | 2013–14 | Premier League | 36 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 40 | 4 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Championship | 37 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 2 | |
| 2016–17 | Premier League | 31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 39 | 2 | ||
| Total | 135 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 161 | 8 | ||
| Derby County | 2017–18 | Championship | 44 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 2 |
| 2018–19 | Championship | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | Championship | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | ||
| Total | 79 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 90 | 3 | ||
| Hull City | 2021–22 | Championship | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| Manchester United U21 | 2022–23 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 470 | 18 | 33 | 1 | 30 | 6 | 52 | 2 | 585 | 27 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 4 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
Tottenham Hotspur
- Football League Cup: 2007–08 winner; runner-up: 2008–09
Hull City
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2016 winner
- FA Cup runner-up: 2013–14
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 2004–05 Championship
See also
In Spanish: Tom Huddlestone para niños
