The Leeds United youngster is in Bulgaria with the England Under-17s squad preparing for Saturday’s European Championship quarter-final with Russia. He is yet to make an appearance at the tournament so far, but he knows he cannot afford to switch off for a second.
After seeing Krul come off the bench to star for Holland in Brazil last year, and help the Dutch reach the semi-finals with his heroics in a penalty shoot-out, Huffer knows he could be called into action at any moment.
England v Russia
UEFA European U17 Championship
Quarter-final
Saturday 16 May 2015
Lazur, Burgas, Bulgaria
"It’s so important I stay focused – it only takes one tackle or sending off and I will be on," he told TheFA.com at the team hotel in Pomorie.
"Obviously I don’t want that to happen, and I give Paul [Woolston] my full support whenever he needs it, and will always give him a pat on the back when he has done well.
"I mean the save he produced the other night against Ireland, it basically won us the game and ensured we finished in top spot, and I told him that."
Even though he knows he is unlikely to feature, Huffer is not allowing his concentration to slip.
"It’s not that difficult to prepare for the games, I keep preparing as if I’m starting," he revealed.
"I play for my club each week, and even though I know I’m not going to play, you try as best you can to get into that mindset that you will need to be ready.
Head coach John Peacock with his Yorkshire Tea bags
"I may get on in the first minute or the last minute, but I have to ensure that I’m ready to be there for my team. Tim Krul showed last summer that it is possible to have a big impact even if you are not number one."
In a cheeky attempt to win a bit of favour from his manager John Peacock and goalkeeping coach Simon Smith, Huffer arranged a special delivery for the pair before the Young Lions faced Holland last week.
"John and Simon found out my dad worked at Yorkshire Tea and asked me if he could bring some out with him,” he said with a smile.
"They weren’t a fan of the tea out here, so my dad brought some out. They seemed quite pleased with it."
And football is not the only thing on the youngster’s mind. He is one of nine members of the squad that are sitting GCSE exams in Bulgaria.
Huffer attends St Peter’s York, the fourth oldest school in the world, and he takes his schoolwork seriously.
"I have 18 exams in total and I’ve sat six already, so I’ve still got 12 left," he added.
"It’s been quite nice actually and has allowed me to focus on other things. It’s given me a break from focusing on the football, and to be honest, if I was just at home then the exam period is a nightmare for anyone my age.
"So it’s quite nice that I’ve not been full-on football, which can wear you out mentally, and I do enjoy school.
"I’ve sat two English papers, two French exams and also taken my Chemistry and Biology. I’ve still got quite a lot left, but I’m managing my revision well and I’m confident I’ll do well – I know how important these exams are."
England versus Russia on Saturday, kick-off 2pm, will be shown live on Eurosport.
Follow @England on Twitter for all the latest news from the Young Lions camp.
