Grant Hall thinks the groundwork for his growing reputation at QPR was laid at Tottenham - even if the defender got frozen out of White Hart Lane.
What he did get in his three years with the club was a masterclass from the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale that eventually set him up for an Rs move in the summer.
Since when, Hall has recently been something of isolated force in a stuttering side that included a clean sheet in the draw with Preston on Saturday (see gallery).
The 24-year old explained what any young player learning his craft gets at a Premier League side like Spurs.
“When I left Brighton to go to Tottenham, it was the right thing to do, and I have no regrets," he said.
“Things didn’t work out - such is football.
“But there was Gareth Bale and Luka Modric; and I’m walking in star struck. There were top class coaches like Les (Ferdinand), Tim (Sherwood), and Chris (Ramsey) and they helped me develop.
“The technical side was a lot different to what I was used to. It was a lot sharper.”
Even so, Hall was loaned out to Swindon, Birmingham and Blackpool without ever stepping on to a first-team pitch with his parent club.
When Ramsey and Ferdinand offered him a trial in the summer, Hall seized on the chance to reunite with the people who brought him on in North London.
He said: “I knew pretty much what they wanted from our time at Tottenham, so that helped.
“There’s a lot more to come for me, though - and I just want to get as many games as possible.”
