CumbrianRam Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Nigel Clough has hailed Will Hughes as an ‘absolute revelation’ for his progress in the last 12 months – and thinks he’ll be even better this season after his impressive start to the 2013/14 season. The 18-year-old midfielder made 38 appearances during the 2012/13 campaign and has started all three of the Rams’ games so far this term. Academy product Hughes made a huge impact on Derby’s side last season, and went on to gain two caps for England at Under 21 level. He also picked up the Football League’s Young Player of the Month Award for November for his hugely impressive displays, particularly from the Autumn time when he became a regular fixture in the centre of the Rams midfield. His maturity both on and off the pitch in particular has impressed Clough, who thinks Hughes will make an even bigger impact at Pride Park this season. He said: “His form was incredibly mature all season long last year we’re sure that’ll be the case next year. “For someone that turned 18 just a few weeks before last season’s end, you can’t fail but be impressed with how he’s done. “To be playing regularly at 17 or 18 is staggering really at this level of football and deal with the speculation too linking him away from the club. “Summing up the last year, Will has been incredible and an absolute revelation to be honest. “We didn’t have any doubts about him in terms of ability, but we did wonder if he could handle it in the centre of midfield in the Championship and after two or three games it was pretty clear he could. “We really expect him to start this season even better as well. “He’s looked fresh after his break and we think given he’s only going to get better he will make more of an impact, especially if the opening stages of season are anything to go by.” Clough has continually stated the importance of Hughes keeping his feet on the ground if he is to improve and enjoy a long career in the game. He has tipped the former Repton schoolboy to reach the very top in his career and says he should look at the way Manchester United duo Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have conducted themselves to enjoy successful, and lengthy, footballing careers. “He can still improve and we think he will, as long as he continues to keep his feet on the ground and do what he does best on the pitch,” he said. “There are good examples out there for him of players who have kept their feet on the ground and had great careers, and there are also players out there who haven’t. “Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are two examples for all young players to look up to, but especially Will.” Hughes’ rapid rise into the spotlight on a local and national basis is another of the many success stories to come from Derby’s Academy set-up in recent years. Clough says the fact Hughes was not a ‘dead cert’ to be handed a professional contact two years ago serves as huge inspiration to potential schoolboys and scholars that they too could follow in his footsteps. He said: “We’ve been using him as an example to our Academy and we did it again a few months ago in a different way. “The Academy hosted the Induction Evening in the close-season for the new scholars and we said to those in attendance: ‘two years ago Will Hughes was sat here and we didn’t know what he was going to achieve’. “With the greatest wish in the world we didn’t expect Will to make his first-team debut, be a near ever-present in the side, score his first goal and be capped by England U21’s inside 18 months. “It’s brilliant that we can tell that story to the future scholars and tell them: ‘that could be you in two years’. “Like Will, they need to knuckle down, listen to Darren Wassall and remember they couldn’t wish to work with a better group of people that our Academy staff. “After that, if you are good enough then we will give you an opportunity – that’s the simple message. “Will has grasped it with both hands and his intelligence on and off the pitch sets him apart from a lot of footballers.” Hughes scored two goals last season, at home to Watford and away to Millwall. http://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/article/an-absolute-revelation-1003811.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuespachRam Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 i love listening to Nigel when he talks about the academy etc etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenportram Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 i love listening to Nigel when he talks about the academy etc etc.. More importantly - where's the book? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRam Posted August 21, 2013 Share Posted August 21, 2013 Funny, watching Hughes, you find yourself sitting back in your seat and clapping, at the 'easiness' of him. the things you see sitting up in North Stand, willing them to pass it left, or right, how can they not see it. Will see's it. You forgive him that 'naiivity' because you see what he was trying to do, he's under a lot of pressure and still performs like he does. He's a keeper, shame football isn't like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCFC_17 Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 price tag just dropped 5 mill from that performance today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-JW- Posted August 31, 2013 Share Posted August 31, 2013 price tag just dropped 5 mill from that performance today He's now worth -£1million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgford Ram Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 He still had one great run ghosting past players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
networker1884 Posted September 1, 2013 Share Posted September 1, 2013 He still had one great run ghosting past players. He did! We forgot about it because of the rest of the performance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom FBO Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Will Hughes is number 23 on this list of emerging talent - a fair assessment of his potential? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duracell Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 A couple of months ago I'd have said yes. And it's still probably a fair assessment. He doesn't look the same player he did a few months ago - but then again, how many other of those wonderkids have been asked to play so many matches in such an intense and competitive league? It's an unforgiving marathon in the Championship, and I think we're overplaying him. Take Yassine Benzia for example, a player of a similar age at Lyon - he's probably played half the minutes Hughes has, and they've only been sporadic appearances against lower Ligue 1 opposition. Not the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom FBO Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Yeah, it's tough considering he's still only 18 but regular football at senior level may put him in good stead in terms of his overall development. There's probably not many players in the U21 England team who've had the same amount of first team match time. A lot of players in the Premier League don't regularly get first team games until they're 21, so he's got three years on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duracell Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Yeah, it's tough considering he's still only 18 but regular football at senior level may put him in good stead in terms of his overall development. There's probably not many players in the U21 England team who've had the same amount of first team match time. A lot of players in the Premier League don't regularly get first team games until they're 21, so he's got three years on them. There's a balance to be struck though. We're not very good in this country at blooding in youngsters. The top clubs and others in the Premier League only give them very limited chances, while in the Championship and the lower echelons of the Prem, they get overplayed and they often pay for it later in their careers. I wonder where Tom Huddlestone might be if he'd had a more gradual introduction into professional football. Those three years development time will evaporate very quickly if he spend his early twenties on the treatment table for recurring injuries picked up now in this physical league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Tibbs Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 I don't think it helps when we put him out wide of a 3. Whether that be in a 433, 4-1-2-1-2 etc. Always looks much better central. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenportram Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 He looked great second half on Tuesday, a spring back in his step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnieronalde Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 He looked great second half on Tuesday, a spring back in his step. Fully agree with that. I thought he was brilliant second half. I think Steve will rest him a little bit more than Nigel did as well. I'm not sure that it's the right decision but I think he'll try to bring in a bit of experience and steel in the middle, then when Jeffs back, I think we'll see Will used more as a sub or maybe playing him once a week. He's been a bit below par lately (apart from Tuesday) and something has got to be done to try to get his spark back, maybe that's resting him up a bit. He's still the clubs future, by a long way our brightest talent, but he's dipped a bit and I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle him now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daaave Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Will Hughes is number 23 on this list of emerging talent - a fair assessment of his potential? Bit of an aside but in that article it says: "The 18-year-old joined Derby’s academy as a first-year scholar in 2011 and, after impressing in reserve matches, was handed his first-team debut when he came off the bench in a league match against Peterborough United. Having entered the fray with the scores at 2-2, Hughes scored a 94th minute winner." Which certainly didn't happen as I'm fairly sure that's the game we lost 3-2 having been 2-0 up after half an hour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronnieronalde Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Bit of an aside but in that article it says: "The 18-year-old joined Derby’s academy as a first-year scholar in 2011 and, after impressing in reserve matches, was handed his first-team debut when he came off the bench in a league match against Peterborough United. Having entered the fray with the scores at 2-2, Hughes scored a 94th minute winner." Which certainly didn't happen as I'm fairly sure that's the game we lost 3-2 having been 2-0 up after half an hour It's ********.(simply not true) Wills first goal for us was the scrappy shiinner v Watford in the 5-1 drubbing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 I thought his first start was v P'Boro at home and we drew 1-1 and he didnt score. He played RM and was immense He made his debut a couple of weeks before in stoppage time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daaave Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Yea first start was last game of that season home to Pboro. His first team debut was the previously mentioned sub appearance away at Posh earlier in the season but we lost 3-2 and he very certainly didn't score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddie Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 The Posh game was the one when Theo scored two then missed an absolute sitter, wasn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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