It is normally said of policemen and doctors, but these days it also seems that footballers are getting younger and younger.

Unless you have been in an alternate universe, you will most probably have heard about a certain 17 year-old who goes by the name of Rooney but, over in Derby, even Mr Rooney might be considered something of a veteran.

This weekend, County manager John Gregory included three 15 year-olds in his squad to face Millwall. One of them, Tom Huddlestone, even made the bench - a great achievement for a young man of his tender years.

Tom is part of the highly successful England Under-17 team which has already won the Nordic and Nationwide tournaments this season.

The Head Coach of the England Under-17 team is John Peacock and, as the former Academy Director at Pride Park, he is perfectly placed to give us an insight into what has allowed the 15 year-old Huddlestone to make such swift steps up the footballing ladder.

"There is no doubt that Tom is extremely well developed physically," says Peacock of the young midfielder who already stands an imposing 6ft2inches tall.

"But it's not all about his physique," he says. "We are also talking about a very technically proficient young footballer. He is a dedicated young professional and I'm sure he will have learned a lot from Saturday's experience."

Huddlestone's England Under-17 team-mate Nathan Doyle also made Derby's first team squad this weekend and Peacock admits that the progress that some of his protégés made this season has exceeded even his expectations.

"At this age, even reserve team football is an excellent achievement and that's where the likes of James Milner at Leeds and Steven Taylor at Newcastle are at the moment," says Peacock.

"We follow the development of the players very closely and are monitoring their progress at all times."

Now Peacock believes that attitude and dedication will be the keys to this promising generation of players realising their potential.

"Though they are progressing very quickly, there is still a long way to go and the boys know that. As long as they keep their feet on the ground and remain keen to learn, the future bodes well."

The next time John and his coach Paul Bracewell will see his players will be for the friendly Under-17 international against France in December.

"I'm looking forward to meeting up and working with the boys again," he says.

As a coach who relishes working with the finest young players in the country, it's not difficult to understand why.

England Under-17 play France Under-17 in an international friendly match on December 11.

Stay logged onto TheFA.com for all the news in the build up to the game.

Daniel Freedman

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