Huddlestone could be next King of the Lane

"He's a level-headed lad and that was my first impression of him," said the former Aston Villa manager. "When we took him away with the first team for the first time we had to have a welfare officer on the coach because he was still at school, but Tom took everything in his stride, and on Monday morning was back in the classroom."

Since then Huddlestone, who was born in Nottingham, has made 80 appearances for Derby. It is a remarkable record for someone who only turned 18 in December, and one which prompts Gregory to draw comparisons with Gareth Barry's emergence at Villa Park.

"You look at someone like Barry who came through at 16 at Aston Villa - he was an outstanding player at that tender age and Huddlestone is alongside him in that respect," said Gregory. "I wouldn't be surprised if Tom's playing in Tottenham's first team at the start of next season - Barry was playing at that age for Villa, though he did have people like Gareth Southgate and Ugo Ehiogu alongside him, and that's important.

"If Tom was to go straight into the heart of the Spurs defence, providing he has someone who complements him, he won't look back.

"When you look at Ledley King, he came in as a relatively unknown youngster but respective managers realised that you can't afford to leave him out, and the same could happen with Tom."

However, at Spurs Huddlestone faces competition from Michael Dawson and Calum Davenport for the right to partner King. It is a scenario that leads many to believe he will return to Pride Park on loan at the beginning of next season, though Warren Barton, who played with Huddlestone at Derby, believes the teenager should focus his attention on a midfield role.

"Tom's going to be a great signing for Spurs and there's no doubt that he can play in the Premiership, but I think he needs to be in midfield," said the former Newcastle defender.

"It's just that strikers you come across in the Premier League are a little sharper and then it becomes difficult when you are twisting and turning. But training against people like Jermain Defoe will help him with that. It's not that Tom's slow, but he maybe needs quicker feet." Barton and Gregory agree that Huddlestone, who is 6ft 3ins and more than 14stone, would benefit from firstteam football at Derby as opposed to languishing in Spurs' reserves.

However, Michael Johnson, who has partnered Huddlestone at the heart of Derby's defence this season, is backing his team-mate to impress at White Hart Lane.

"I believe he's got all the attributes to be a success at Spurs," said Johnson, who spent eight years with Birmingham City.

"Tom seems to have so much time on the ball, is comfortable with both feet and has a great range of passing. He's obviously got an immense talent and nothing fazes him. You can throw whatever you like at Tom and he never gets rattled on the pitch."

But amid the bright lights of London, Huddlestone will face temptations off the field, too. However, Barton refutes any suggestion he will make the same mistakes as Jermaine Pennant, another million-pound teenager who arrived in the capital via Nottingham.

"Tom might buy a new pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but I don't think he's going to get carried away," said Barton. "But, if I do see him around London, he's not too old for me to give him a clip round the ear!"

There will be no need for that. According to Gregory, Huddlestone's mother will get there first.