Tom Huddlestone’s long-awaited return from injury in Derby County’s Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie against Crystal Palace came as a welcome boost for manager Phillip Cocu.


The 33-year-old made his comeback from three months out of action with a hamstring injury in the 1-0 victory against the Premier League side on Sunday afternoon.

The vastly experienced midfielder played 75 minutes at Selhurst Park as he got vital match minutes under his belt.

Huddlestone had been a regular under Cocu prior to sustaining the injury at the beginning of October when scoring a first-half penalty in Derby’s 2-2 draw at Barnsley.

Cocu says he’s happy to have Huddlestone back in the fold to provide another option in the middle of the park, particularly with Graeme Shinnie and George Evans still sidelined owing to injuries of their own.

Speaking in his post-match press conference after the game at Selhurst Park, Cocu said: “Tom did great in the game and we know his qualities as a player.

“He had been out for around three months and he had been back training for about 10 days before this match.

“He played very well and got some important minutes in, so I am very pleased for him.

“He has put in a lot of hard work to come back and showed us in his performance he is an important player for the team.”


Huddlestone lined up in midfield against Palace alongside fellow former England team-mate Wayne Rooney.

Between them, the pair have racked up almost 1,300 appearances in club football.

Cocu says senior players such as Huddlestone and skipper Rooney, as well as the likes of Curtis Davies and Chris Martin, can be influential on the Rams’ youngsters.

He said: “Having people like Tom and Wayne Rooney in the side can be very important, especially in game management when we need to see matches out.

“Senior players can help the younger guys to learn what is needed in games.”