Charlton Athletic v Huddersfield Town: Wolves loanee on inspiration from two Portuguese stars and a pair of Terriers legends
NO-ONE can say that Huddersfield Town loanee Joe Hodge has been short of midfielders to learn from during his football journey to date.
In his early days at his parent club Wolves, working on a day-to-day level alongside two of the leading purveyors of their craft at Premier League and international level in Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves was a privilege and an education.
For a young player making his way in the game, it is hard to think of two better role models to learn from.
This season at Town, the 22-year-old has also taken plenty from working on a daily basis with Terriers legend Jonathan Hogg, who recently made his 400th appearance in the blue and white and was presented with a framed shirt signed by his team-mates on behalf of the club ahead of a training session.
Of late, the input of another individual who was an authority in the middle of the park in his playing days at Town in interim head coach Jon Worthington is also helping along the way.
Hodge said: "He (Worthington) has been speaking to me about the details and little parts of the game I can improve.
"Not just me but the other midfielders as well. It's definitely something I can learn from and try and take into my performances.
"I have also learnt a lot from Hoggy. I see the way he trains and holds himself every single day and it is the example of what we need to do.
"He’s a great guy and I think everyone can see that the reason he has got to where he has in the game is the way he works. If anyone works like that, they give themselves a chance.”
And on learning from two of the best at Wolves, he continued: "You just have to train with those players to see the level of what they do.
"I wasn’t even speaking to them so much, just seeing the way they work and trying to better yourself just to be able to compete with them drives you on to different levels.
"Working and training with those players is the reason I have ended up with a career, to be honest.
"You see the quality they have, but it’s the way they work hard every day. Hoggy is exactly the same, someone you can learn from and hopefully I can end up like that."
Fully recovered from a deep-seated groin injury sustained in mid-autumn, Hodge is part of a Town squad who have it all to play for in the final weeks of the regular season as they strive to secure their place in the end-of-season play-offs, with things on a bit of a knife-edge as it stands.
For the former Republic of Ireland under-21 international, the pressure is all relative.
In the second half of last season, he was plunged into a relegation scrap at QPR during a separate loan spell.
Hodge, who scored a goal on his Hoops debut at Blackburn - helped the London club retain their Championship status, but in terms of pressure, he knows which he prefers.
The schemer, who rebuffed interest from SPL side Hibernian to join Town towards the end of the summer window, added: "It’s much more enjoyable where we are now.
" Pushing to be up the top of the league than coming into the changing room after every game and looking at the other teams who have won thinking: ‘we could be on our way down here’.
"This is far more enjoyable and hopefully we can see it through and get the job done.
"I wanted to be here and always wanted to come at the start of the window. The injury was frustrating and a bad one, but the physios were great and got me back as fast as we could. I did well to get back in the time frame I did.”