Derby's Will Hughes - the Championship's latest sensation
Last updated on .From the section Football

If reports are true and Barcelona have compiled a "detailed dossier" on Derby's 17-year-old midfielder Will Hughes then they must have filled a few pages on the back of his recent performance against Leeds.
Hughes was the deserved man of the match after tearing the Yorkshire side to shreds during Derby's 3-1 win in a match played in front of the television cameras earlier this month.
There was his wonderfully disguised threaded pass that led to Conor Sammon putting the Rams in front and a stand-out mazy run with the sort of tight control that hinted at a youth spent playing futsal. Countless times he knitted his team's play together; always finding space, always willing to take possession and shoulder responsibility.
In among the trickery and the attacking flair, what really caught the eye was a surging run back towards his own goal that eventually led to a sliding tackle - and with it the end of a promising Leeds attack.
It is the sort of form that has seen Hughes linked with a host of top-flight clubs and named as the Football League young player of the month for November.
Hughes was presented with his award at Derby's Moor Farm training ground on Thursday morning, his bleach blond hair standing out against the grey December sky.
It was his first award as a professional footballer and comes during a period of astounding progress for the modest and intelligent youngster.
Last season he made two substitute appearances and one start for the first team. So far this season he has started every Derby fixture apart from the away game at Bolton in late August when he came on as a substitute.
There has been no sign of the inconsistency that tends to affect many young players in their breakthrough season and his ability to last the duration of a match has improved throughout the campaign.
"'Just give him the ball', that is what we tell the lads," Derby boss Nigel Clough told BBC Sport. "They have the confidence to give him it all over the pitch.
"People say 'is he really only 17?'. It is like having a senior pro in the team. His composure belies his age and there are not many 17-year-olds in the country playing to the standard that he is; it sets him apart."
Hughes's instantly recognisably hairstyle might hint at a man keen to thrust himself into centre stage, but in conversation with him what stands out is his modesty and willingness to learn.
He loves to watch Spanish football, trying to pick out little bits from the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, in particular their decision-making on the ball.
Ask him to describe his best qualities as a footballer and the answer comes slowly, Hughes eventually opting for his technical and passing ability. Ask him what he can improve and the answer flows - his weaker foot (right), which he is working on after training, the physical aspects of his game, his strength and his speed.
Hughes made his debut for the England Under-21 team in November as a substitute in their fixture against Northern Ireland. In doing so he became the second-youngest player to represent the U-21s after Arsenal's Theo Walcott.
Given that Hughes went into pre-season focused on claiming a regular place on the bench, it is unsurprising that he is still trying to come to terms with the speed of his progression.
"This season has been a whirlwind," said Hughes. "It is weird how fast everything has happened for me, I just could not see that. Over the last 12 months everything has rocketed. I still try to find time to keep in touch with my friends but it is difficult."
Hughes, a former pupil at Repton School, has just passed his driving test and has private tutoring at the club, studying A-levels in business studies and politics. He is trying to retain a sense of normality off the pitch.
Yet such has been his progress that he is already on his second professional contract - the initial deal he signed when he turned 17 quickly superseded by a new one in October that runs until 2015.
The danger is obvious. Increasingly he is being linked with top Premier League clubs - Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal among others - and Clough is clearly aware of the need to protect his player, to monitor his development and keep him grounded.
"One of the biggest dangers is money," added Clough. "Once you put money into the hands of a 17-year-old, no matter how intelligent and mature they are, there is a chance of it going the wrong way."
Clough has told Hughes that if he can get this season and the next right, if he can keep focused and continue to improve, then money and all the other trappings commensurate with the modern footballer will look after themselves.
But Clough admits that Hughes seems so mature that he sometimes has to remind himself just how young the attacking midfielder is; still technically a minor who is not old enough to legally buy alcohol.
Hughes has a Twitter account, the mini-bio section of which simply reads 'Happiness is the key'. Why nothing about being a footballer?
"I do not want to put anything about football or seem arrogant. I'm still a 17-year-old lad and I have not done anything yet," he said.
That is not strictly true. In matter of months he has gone from relative obscurity to one of the hottest young properties in the Football League.
On Friday the Derby Academy, where most of his peers still play, breaks up for two weeks. There will be no such chance for Hughes to relax as he excitedly looks forward to his first Christmas as a professional.
He will spend the evening of 25 December in a hotel close to Burnley ahead of their game on Boxing Day against the Clarets. Will he spend the evening reading Barcelona's detailed dossier?
"That is all a bunch of lies, rumours, as are all the stories about me. I get told about them but they just go straight over my head," Hughes added.
BBC Sport will be taking a closer look at stories from outside the Premier League before every weekend league programme in our Football League Friday features.
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They also don't have a dossier on my gran - am I to expect articles about her on the BBC sports pages now?
Or headlines that says 'Cameron drinks snake blood at dawn', followed by the clarification in the article that he actually doesn't?
(...he probably does).
Yes it is only the Championship, but a player can only play against what is in front of him.
Why don't you go along to Pride Park and watch him for a few matches and then come back and tell us what you think?
As a Forest fan working over on the 'dark side' i've heard a lot about this young lad. I think he has a great future ahead of him and Clough Jnr is probably the ideal manager for him at the moment.
He is a very tidy player, makes good decisions and rarely gives the ball away which is very important at the highest level.
If stays at Derby under proper guidance he will continue to develop. If he does decide to move Liverpool or Man Utd would be best for his development. Both AF and BR will give young players a proper chance.
He is a real asset on the pitch & surely an inspiration to other "wannabe" footballers. Having him in a Derby shirt is an extra bonus.
An excellent piece, thank you!
Name me a young English player who's done well under Arsene at Arsenal? Then remember Walcott, Pennant, Jeffers et al who have been similarly hyped and failed to deliver under his tutelage. Regular games at a Championship/Premiership clubs are FAR more valuable than the influence of a supposed top-rate manager...
As for those players who never fulfilled their potential, I really hope Nick Powell doesn't end up like that. He was amazing for Crewe. But as he plays for a Monopoly money team who are always likely to bring in some "big name", it may happen, which would be tragic. Wilfred Zaha, take note; maybe another year at Palace wouldn't hurt.
5th top scorer of all time? I would say thats pretty successful. How many English players in the last 46 years have been "successful"? None. Does that make Gazza, Hoddle, Lineker etc rubbish? Dont think so. Messi is as successful as Rooney at International level by your logic. Think on.
How do you know he is over-rated? Have you watched him play regularly? If you had then you would notice that he is a long way from being a finished article but for a 17year old he looks unbelievable. Who cares if he plays in the Championship, so did Luca Toni, who was top scorer in the B league 2years before being top scorer in Serie A. An article does not make a player over-rated.
Good luck to Hughes but too early to judge him. I saw him play against CPFC and he was decidedly average. That was one game though. Needs to produce week in week out before anyone gets too excited about him. 2 words - John Bostock.
Hope the greedy big clubs leave the lad alone for a few years.
Owen is just bitter and has never come to terms with the fact that Liverpudlians hate his guts- Geordies too! Plus for most United fans he ranks somewhere behind Djemba Djemba and Jordi Cruyff.
He a good kid looks full of promise nothing more than that. You english press are muppet like the way you blow things up all out of proportion
As to any future moves, i think you just have to look at the longevity and success of Giggs' career to realise that almost any youngster would be better off under SAF.
Arsenal have a terrible injury record, and Liverpool took 4 years off Michael Owen