Interesting comments, owder, and no doubt borne from seeing all the good young 'uns coming through at the BG and PPS over the years.
We haven't always produced top-class youth ouput but Clough's regime is coming up with the goods.
I can remember back to the Cloughie days and seeing Stevie Powell burst onto the scene, then of course lads like Robson, Langan, as well as the raw talent we nabbed at slightly older ages, like Roy Mac, Zak etc...
As you say, Hughes is something else altogether in these times, given the lack of true quality at Derby over the last decade.
For one so young, he also has exceptional resilience and stamina, he is tough and capable physically; he keeps going right through the game and can dish out tackles as well as take them.
His awareness and touch are wonderful and he can shine against all kinds of opposition.
We have seen Huddlestone, Barnes (who...?) rise through the ranks and move on but it looks like we might have an ongoing crop of class talent coming through....
That is, unless bigger, more ambitious clubs poach Darren Wassall and the Academy regime (which has happened before recently at Derby).
I only wish that this club had the mentality, strategy and ambition such that their young stars would be able to play AT DERBY in the top flight, rather than simply fielding all the conjecture about whether Hughes would be best served going to an 'elite' (top 4) club or joining a 'mid-table' Prem side.
...for Chrissakes, after 5 years in charge at Derby, GSE should be rivalling or bettering the Fulhams, Norwichs, Swanseas, WBAs and others, rather than resigning their talent to clubs we used to defeat with monotonous regularity when the club settled for nothing less that top-flight footy.
Rant over, at least we can enjoy Will for another match or two, maybe a month or two.....?
[Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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