You have to work hard to get a congratulatory text from Glenn Hoddle. It took Sam Clucas five years, and Jordan Hugill had to wait seven to receive one after making his Premier League debut for West Ham.
The players were together a long way from Hull and east London in Andalucía at Hoddle’s academy in 2010 and plenty of moves later they are back together at Rotherham in the Championship. Clucas and Hugill were two of the 20 intake unwanted by professional clubs who moved to Spain to be coached by the former England manager and an impressive array of staff, including John Gorman, Dave Beasant and Graham Rix. The plan was to improve the youngsters and sell them on to fund the academy but after three years it was wound up.
