Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp believes Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tom Huddlestone is the Premier League equivalent to Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso, who formerly anchored Liverpool’s midfield prior to moving to the Bernabeu in 2008.
Huddlestone’s performance against Young Boys on Wednesday night, according to Redknapp, was a master class in short and long passing, and although he is yet to find the necessary consistency to dominate games on a regular basis, the former England international believes the 23-year-old should look at the examples set by Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard in terms of having the self-belief to stamp his undoubted quality on matches.
Redknapp believes Huddlestone’s recent form is worthy of an England call-up and suggests the towering midfielder looks every inch the modern day equivalent to Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle.
The former Liverpool captain told the Daily Mail: “We've all been going crazy about the midfield play of Paul Scholes and rightly so, but Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone can do all of that, too.
“He's the English Xabi Alonso, who will pass a team to death with his daisy cutters, those drilled passes that skip off the grass when he pings the ball so effortlessly with either foot.
“He doesn't just launch the ball. Short and long, his passing has never been questioned, but he is now more dynamic with his play.
“His improved fitness has allowed him to surge upfield and he will pick up the ball 20 or 30 yards further forward.
Redknapp continued: “He needs to score more goals and should have more faith in his shooting because he strikes the ball cleanly from distance and with pace.
“In our country, we focus on what players can't do, rather than what they can do. We ask if Tom is mobile enough.
“Well, he's not a box-to-box midfielder with little legs who scurries about the pitch.
“He is big with long legs and a long stride.
“It might look like it takes him time to cover the same ground, but he can shift and he is operating further up the pitch than he was before.
“He is setting the tempo, being proactive, rather than reacting to the tempo of the game.
“He's got to believe in himself more - like Steven Gerrard when he plays for Liverpool or Frank Lampard in the blue of Chelsea.
“They have an arrogance about themselves - and you need that to play at the highest level.
“They have a look that says: 'When I play, we play.'
“Tom is starting to find that. He is growing up. He has sharpened up his fitness and is thriving playing for a manager who loves him.
Redknapp believes the Tottenham Hotspur youngster is the heir apparent to a former White Hart Lane pass-master, Glenn Hoddle.
“The way Tom Huddlestone passed the ball around for Tottenham on Wednesday night evoked memories of one of the game's great playmakers, Glenn Hoddle.” He said.
“Hoddle's sublime passing was a feature of the Spurs teams of the Seventies and Eighties, when he was regularly featured on Match of the Day.
“Any more of Huddlestone's dazzling distribution and he will be renamed Tom Hoddlestone.”
Huddlestone’s performance against Young Boys on Wednesday night, according to Redknapp, was a master class in short and long passing, and although he is yet to find the necessary consistency to dominate games on a regular basis, the former England international believes the 23-year-old should look at the examples set by Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard and Chelsea’s Frank Lampard in terms of having the self-belief to stamp his undoubted quality on matches.
Redknapp believes Huddlestone’s recent form is worthy of an England call-up and suggests the towering midfielder looks every inch the modern day equivalent to Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle.
The former Liverpool captain told the Daily Mail: “We've all been going crazy about the midfield play of Paul Scholes and rightly so, but Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone can do all of that, too.
“He's the English Xabi Alonso, who will pass a team to death with his daisy cutters, those drilled passes that skip off the grass when he pings the ball so effortlessly with either foot.
“He doesn't just launch the ball. Short and long, his passing has never been questioned, but he is now more dynamic with his play.
“His improved fitness has allowed him to surge upfield and he will pick up the ball 20 or 30 yards further forward.
Redknapp continued: “He needs to score more goals and should have more faith in his shooting because he strikes the ball cleanly from distance and with pace.
“In our country, we focus on what players can't do, rather than what they can do. We ask if Tom is mobile enough.
“Well, he's not a box-to-box midfielder with little legs who scurries about the pitch.
“He is big with long legs and a long stride.
“It might look like it takes him time to cover the same ground, but he can shift and he is operating further up the pitch than he was before.
“He is setting the tempo, being proactive, rather than reacting to the tempo of the game.
“He's got to believe in himself more - like Steven Gerrard when he plays for Liverpool or Frank Lampard in the blue of Chelsea.
“They have an arrogance about themselves - and you need that to play at the highest level.
“They have a look that says: 'When I play, we play.'
“Tom is starting to find that. He is growing up. He has sharpened up his fitness and is thriving playing for a manager who loves him.
Redknapp believes the Tottenham Hotspur youngster is the heir apparent to a former White Hart Lane pass-master, Glenn Hoddle.
“The way Tom Huddlestone passed the ball around for Tottenham on Wednesday night evoked memories of one of the game's great playmakers, Glenn Hoddle.” He said.
“Hoddle's sublime passing was a feature of the Spurs teams of the Seventies and Eighties, when he was regularly featured on Match of the Day.
“Any more of Huddlestone's dazzling distribution and he will be renamed Tom Hoddlestone.”
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