Huddlestone began his career as a loping centre-back at Derby County but his eye for a pass and confident manner soon saw his then boss George Burley employ this brute of a boy in the centre of midfield. Tom played 88 games for The Rams before his talents were spotted by Frank Arnesen and Martin Jol at Tottenham. With the club actively pursuing a strategy of buying promising young English players the burly Nottingham-born lad was an obvious choice and, despite Derby urging the player to continue his footballing education in the Championship, the lure of Premiership football was too strong and in July 2005 Huddlestone joined Spurs for a fee rising to as much as £2million.
Initially confined to the reserves, Huddlestone was loaned out to Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers, an irony that would not have been lost on Burley, especially after Huddlestone scored his first professional goal against his old side. He eventually made his league debut for Tottenham in the 1-0 defeat to Fulham in December 2006.
Since then his Tottenham career has been a mixed bag. At times his brand of confident, laid back midfield anchoring evoked comparison with the now departed Michael Carrick and his ability with the ball at his feet drew fans to whisper that this boy might just be the next Glenn Hoddle. He is also blessed with a thunderous shot, as demonstrated by his sumptuous half volley against Manchester City last season, a strike that Hoddle himself would have been truly proud.
There are, however, negative aspects to his game, many closely associated with his physical size. Commentators have questioned his ability to manoeuvre around the pitch, with his lack of mobility rendering him ineffective when facing nippy attacking midfielders. His laid back style means he is accomplished at keeping possession when Tottenham are enjoying the lions share of the match but, this season in particularly, he has rarely been afforded the time and space to allow him to demonstrate his range of passing. His formidable frame, as if carved from oak, has led some to question his fitness.
The 2-1 loss to Blackburn, just over a month ago, was a low point for Tom. In front of the watchful eye of Ramos, who was surveying from the stands, Huddlestone floundered against more combative and dynamic opponents. The crowd became increasingly frustrated as he wasted possession time and time again and rather taking a deep breath and refocusing, he resorted to over-ambitious shots from long range, all of which ended up closer to the heavens than the clouds.
Since then Ramos has dropped Huddlestone to the bench and, according to newspaper reports, instructed the England U-21 international to lose weight. But all is not lost. Having signed a four year contract in 2006, Huddlestone has time on his side if he is to establish a place in the Tottenham first team. More crucially, his recent appearances from the substitutes bench against Aalborg and Birmingham suggest Ramos has not yet given up hope on him. He responded with aplomb.
Last season, trailing 2-0 at half time at Upton Park, Martin Jol threw on Huddlestone. The reason, according to the Sky Sports commentators, was obvious - Spurs needed someone who could hold the ball and pick a pass. Within five minutes the midfielder had proved their point. Controlling a loose ball with his chest, Huddlestone looped a pass on to the toes of Aaron Lennon in one quick, fluid movement that belied his frame. Lennon's first touch flicked the ball over Lee Bowyer and caught the West Ham man was caught hopelessly flatfooted. As Lennon raced into the area, he was felled by a clumsy challenge - Penalty. Huddlestone's impact was immediate.
The comparison with last Thursday is eerie. 2-0 down and facing humiliation against lowly Danish opposition, Ramos switched formation and bought on Darren Bent and Huddlestone. It was the defensive midfielder who made the difference, slipping an inch perfect pass through three defenders to set up Berbatov's pass and then spraying passes to both flanks to stretch Aalborg to breaking point.
Then came Birmingham on Sunday. Again Spurs were trailing and again Ramos called on the man affectionately known as 'The Hudd'. You can guess the rest - one brilliant Huddlestone pass, one goal. The result may have been different but his impact was not.
It was only after his side were reduced to ten men that Huddlestone faltered and his lack of mobility began to tell. His potential, however, is obvious. At the moment Ramos would be loathe reintroduce him to the first team despite his encouraging performances because he is a player learning his trade and one who has shown he is not yet ready for the pressure of being relied upon, week in week out for a team playing in four different competitions. Nevertheless, just a few weeks ago you would have been forgiven for writing Tom Huddlestone off as over-hyped, another one of England's youngsters who showed promise but was ultimately lacking. On recent evidence, that seems a little premature.