Manchester United’s Tom Huddlestone appeared on Soccer AM at the weekend to discuss his role at the club.
Filling the role of player-manager for the under-21s, the former England international already has two appearances for United’s under-21s after replacing Paul McShane in the role after the Irishman moved into a permanent managerial role.
Huddlestone revealed that it was actually McShane, a former Hull City team-mate, who recommended him for the job.
Huddlestone said: “To be fair, it was pretty random. Paul McShane, who I played with at Hull, played the role last year before he retired. He then he proposed my name and it was in the middle of preseason that I got the phone call (offering me the job).”
The 35-year-old expanded on how he is adjusting to the role, exclaiming that “the hardest part is the mindset, remembering that you are not fighting to stay on the team. You want to do the best you can, but you know your main job is to try to develop the players around you rather than trying to stay in the team for the next game.”
Speaking about his role, Huddlestone said: “I train 90 per cent of the time with the players. I am planning the session with the coaches beforehand and if there are sessions in four segments I will take one of them as a coach.”
Despite his inexperience as a coach, he is not concerned about expressing his authority, explaining that “because they are younger players and there is a 15-year age difference, then it’s not too bad. I think if it was a player-coach role in a first-team environment, that would be more difficult.”
The experienced midfielder joked about the age discrepancy saying: “The boys might be a little too young to remember me in my prime!”
“So it’s about testing you again in training so they know they can listen to you because you still have a little bit. But you’re still trying to develop them to have professional careers.”
Huddlestone also revealed insight into Erik ten Hag’s involvement and vision for the academy.
With the idea of replicating the style of play of the first team in the academy, he said: “I think he (Ten Hag) had meetings with the staff before I came to the club. He sort of set up his plan with four or five fundamentals (that he wants) in and out of possession.”
“Under 21s and under 18s are trying to implement those ideas along with theirs. I think that will be the process to follow, definitely with the under-21s the objective is to play in a similar way to the first team”.
With the promotion of Alejandro Garnacho and Zidane Iqbal to the first team and several of the other academy players training regularly with the first team, it seems that Ten Hag has already taken a keen interest in the future of the club’s famed academy. 
United Matchday Magazine: The best pre-match experienceThe Manchester derby. Ten Hag’s men are ready. this is huge
Get ready for the game and enjoy carefully selected news, opinions and more. Online soccer content like never before. Place an Order Click Preview to see more or GET YOUR FREE COPY (usually £1.25 / $1.50) Limited Time Offer: SAVE 33% on a Season Pass – Use discount code SEASON33 at checkout.
