TOMORROW'S FA Cup clash between Blackburn Rovers and Luton Town could pit Mark Hughes against his eventual successor.

My old team-mate Mike Newell has done a fantastic job during his time in charge at Kenilworth Road, and it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest to see him on Rovers' shortlist when the day comes to find a replacement for Hughes.

Not that I'm wishing Sparky away, of course, because he's worked a minor miracle of his own during his spell in the Ewood hotseat.

I just think it's inevitable one of the big four will eventually come calling for Hughesie, and when that happens Rovers will need to bring in a similarly forward-thinking young manager who can continue his legacy.

If you'd told me 10 years ago that man could be Mike Newell, I never would have believed you, because when we were players I never had Mike down as future manager material.

When we were at Blackburn together in the early 1990s, Mike didn't seem like the type of guy who was cut out to be the boss.

He was always vocal in the dressing room, and never shied away from putting his point across, but he rarely spoke up in team meetings, and didn't seem interested in the tactical side of things either.

Instead, Mike preferred to be the practical joker, he had a dry sense of humour, and he was able to cut you down with a one-liner.

That made him a popular figure among the players because he was viewed as very much one of the lads, which is why I couldn't imagine him stepping into management.

But life is full of surprises, and Mike has surprised me with the way he's taken to being a boss.

After cutting his teeth at Hartlepool, Mike got his big chance at Luton in 2003, and what he has achieved there since has been nothing short of remarkable.

Gaining promotion to the Championship and then keeping a club like Luton there is no easy feat, particularly when you've got to keep selling your best players.

He's brought loads of money into Luton with the players he's sold, and he hasn't been given much of that back to spend on new recruits, which makes the job he's done all the more impressive.

Managers who can work on a shoestring like that are worth their weight in gold, so it's no surprise he continues to get linked with bigger jobs elsewhere.

The one thing that might put a few chairmen off is his outspoken views on various issues affecting the game.

From female officials to corrupt agents, Mike isn't afraid to air his opinions, and he's even taken a swipe at his own board before now, which isn't normally the done thing.

But I actually admire people who aren't afraid to speak their mind.

As for tomorrow's game, it's another potential banana skin for Rovers, but I still think they'll have too much quality for Luton, even though we're missing some big players through injury.

Mark's biggest job will be making sure the players are up for it because if some thought Watford was a dive then just wait until they see Kenilworth Road.