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) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Thomas Andrew Huddlestone (born on December 28, 1986) is an English former professional footballer and coach. He currently works as a first team assistant coach at Birmingham City. Tom played as a defensive midfielder.
He started his football journey in youth teams at Nottingham Forest and Derby County. Tom began his professional playing career with Derby County in 2003. He quickly became a key player for them. In 2005, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur.
Tom also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan in 2005–06. He then became a regular player for Tottenham. Later, he joined Hull City in 2013. He helped Hull reach the 2014 FA Cup final and qualify for European football.
After four years at Hull, Tom returned to Derby County in 2017. He played there for three seasons. In 2021, he had another short spell at Hull City. His playing career ended with a two-year period at Manchester United, where he also coached their under-21 team. Tom officially retired from playing football in July 2024. He has also played for various England youth teams and the senior national team.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Derby County
Tom Huddlestone was born in Nottingham, England. He joined Nottingham Forest when he was young. However, he left at age 12 because he was thought to be "not strong enough." He then joined Derby County.
Tom made his debut for Derby County's reserve team at just 15 years old. He played his first senior team game at 16. This was on the opening day of the 2003–04 season. Even though Derby struggled, Tom was a standout player. His coach, George Burley, praised his passing skills.
Tom played in 43 of Derby's 46 league matches that season. He continued to play well in the 2004–05 season. Derby reached the play-offs but lost in the semi-final. In January 2005, Tom signed with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He stayed at Derby for the rest of that season. He played 95 games for Derby without scoring a goal.
Time at Tottenham Hotspur
In the 2005–06 season, Tom spent a few months on loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored his first league goal while playing for Wolves. He then made his debut for Tottenham in January 2006.
His first start for Tottenham was in September 2006 in a UEFA Cup match. Tom 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.
Tom became known as a promising young English midfielder. His coach, Martin Jol, even compared him to German football legend Franz Beckenbauer. This was because of his playmaking skills and powerful shots.
Tom signed new contracts with Tottenham in 2006, 2008, and 2010. He came on as a substitute when Tottenham won the 2008 League Cup final against Chelsea. During the 2009–10 season, he played regularly. He faced injury problems in the 2011–12 season. He returned for the 2012–13 season. He received a red card in one match, but it was later removed.
Moving to Hull City
On August 14, 2013, Tom 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. This was his first goal since April 2011.
In January 2014, Tom even played as an emergency goalkeeper. This happened after Hull City's regular goalkeeper was sent off. Hull had already used all their substitutions.
In April 2014, he scored a goal in Hull's 5–3 FA Cup semi-final win. Hull reached the 2014 FA Cup final but lost to Arsenal. In July 2016, he signed a new two-year deal with Hull.
Returning to Derby County
On July 15, 2017, Tom Huddlestone returned to his former club, Derby County. He signed a two-year contract. He scored his first goal in his second spell at Derby in February 2018. This was more than 14 years after his first debut for the club.
On July 1, 2020, Tom announced he was leaving Derby County. He and the club could not agree on a new contract.
Second Time at Hull City
On August 17, 2021, Tom Huddlestone re-signed for Hull City for one year. He made his debut the next day. Tom was one of three senior players released by Hull at the end of the 2021–22 season.
Player-Coach 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 this role from Paul McShane.
Tom played in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 editions of the EFL Trophy. On June 5, 2024, Manchester United announced he would be leaving. Tom Huddlestone announced his retirement from playing football on July 2, 2024.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Tom Huddlestone began his full-time coaching career. On July 2, 2024, he was appointed as a first team coach at EFL League One side Wigan Athletic.
On August 23, 2024, he also joined the interim coaching staff for the England U21s. On September 18, 2024, Huddlestone left Wigan Athletic. He joined Birmingham City, another League One team, as a first team assistant coach.
International Football
Youth Teams
Tom Huddlestone played for several England youth teams. He represented England at the under-16, under-17, under-19, and under-20 levels. He was a regular player for the England under-21s from 2005 to 2009. He played 33 games for the U21 team.
He played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He missed the semi-final and final due to a red card. In October 2008, he scored a goal in a U21 Championship play-off match against Wales. He was sent off in that game and missed the main tournament due to injury.
Senior England Team
Tom was first called up to the England senior squad in 2009. He made his first appearance for the senior team on November 14, 2009. This was in a friendly match against Brazil. He came on as a substitute in the 81st minute.
He played in two more friendly matches in 2010. These were warm-up games for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In May 2010, he was included in England's preliminary World Cup squad. However, he was not chosen for the final 23-man team. His last appearance for England was in November 2012.
Playing Style
Tom Huddlestone was known for his excellent passing ability. This led to comparisons with former Tottenham player Glenn Hoddle. He also had a very powerful shot. This allowed him to score goals from long distances while playing in midfield.
Personal Life
In April 2011, after scoring a goal for Tottenham, Tom accepted a challenge. He decided not to 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. His next goal came in December 2013 for Hull City. As a result, he raised over £57,000 for Cancer Research UK.
Images for kids
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Huddlestone playing for Hull City in 2017
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Huddlestone in 2007
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Huddlestone playing for Hull City in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Tom Huddlestone para niños
