Manchester United player-coach Tom Huddlestone has discussed why he is still playing for the U21s at the age of 37.
Tom Huddlestone At Manchester United
Upon leaving Hull City in 2022, Tom Huddlestone joined Manchester United as a player-coach for the U21 side, replacing Paul McShane.
Since then, there have been plenty of questions surrounding why Huddlestone, at the ripe old age of 37, still turns out for the Manchester United U21 side.
Well, now the man himself has revealed exactly why this is, along with discussing the role he plays in coaching Manchester United’s next generation of stars.
📸 – Tom Huddlestone joined yesterday's session with quite a few young people to replace the starters against Forest who were recovering. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/EskqQuF1dc
— UtdTruthful (@Utdtruthful) March 1, 2024
Huddlestone On Playing With Manchester United’s U21s
Discussing his peculiar role in an interview with SPORTbible, Huddlestone, said: “I’ve had some great feedback but there’s definitely been a bit of confusion as well!”
Opening up on why he has featured so much for the U21s this campaign, Huddlestone said: “I’ve played the last five or six games, which isn’t the intended plan.
“The motive is to help the lads and get them as much game time as possible but Kobbie [Mainoo] and Willy [Kambwala] have been up with the first-team, and midfielder Dan Gore is out on loan. The team at the moment almost picks itself.”
Revealing the role he plays while he is on the pitch with the youngsters, the 37-year-old said: “I’ve still got to be able to compete if called upon so I’ll often train with the under-21s team.”
“I’m currently playing but from a coaching standpoint, I’m there to help the lads out tactically and implement the work we’ve gone through in the week. If they happen to forget certain things, I’m here as a constant reminder.
“For example, when there’s a drinks break, I’ll often go over to the lads and let them know they should have taken an extra touch, or to swivel and play forwards.”
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