Meet the opposition | Huddersfield Town
As Swansea City prepare to host Huddersfield Town, we take a closer look at the Terriers.
WHAT'S THEIR STORY?
Established in 1908, Huddersfield Town were admitted to the Football League in 1910.
The most successful period in their history followed in the 1920s as, under the guidance of Herbert Chapman, the won the First Division title three seasons in a row in 1924, 1925 and 1926.
They were FA Cup winners in 1922, and were beaten finalists in 1928, 1930 and 1938.
A Premier League outfit as recently as 2019, this is the Terriers’ fIfth season back in the second tier.
They came agonisingly close to a top-flight return under Carlos Corberan in 2022, but were defeated by Nottingham Forest in the play-off final at Wembley.
HOW'S THEIR FORM?
Huddersfield had been on a six-match winless run prior to their win over Sunderland in midweek.
They sit one place above the Championship relegation zone but have a six-point buffer to the drop zone.
The win at the Stadium of Light was their second on their travels so far this season, with the first coming at West Brom back in September.
WHO'S THE GAFFER?
Darren Moore. The former defender was recently appointed as Neil Warnock's successor at the John Smith's Stadium.
Moore featured more than 100 times for West Brom between 2001 and 2006 and played for a number of other clubs including Doncaster, Portsmouth, Derby and Barnsley.
A likeable and popular figure, he was appointed caretaker boss at West Brom following Alan Pardew’s exit in early April 2018.
He was soon earning plenty of plaudits but, despite inspiring a huge turnaround in form, he could not prevent the club from being relegated.
Moore landed the job on a permanent basis, but left before the end of the 2018-19 campaign. He had a bright stint in charge of Doncaster before returning to the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday.
He was unable to steer them clear of relegation in 2021, but led them back to the second tier via the play-offs earlier this year, only to leave the Owls soon after that Wembley success.
WHO'S THE CAPTAIN?
Jonathan Hogg. The abrasive midfielder has been with the Terriers since 2013 and has racked up over 300 appearances since joining from Watford.
He was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2021, as he was during the 2016-17 season as they were promoted to the Premier League.
An Aston Villa youth product who has also featured for Darlington and Portsmouth, Hogg's experience and work-rate make him a valuable asset in the middle of the park.
WHO ARE THE KEY MEN?
Defender Michal Helik joined the Terriers in the summer of 2022 after his departure from Barnsley, and has chipped in with five goals already this term.
Michal Helik joined the Tykes in 2020 and immediately cemented himself into the Barnsley backline during a campaign where the Yorkshire club would eventually lose out to the Swans in the play-offs
Helik previously played for Polish sides Ruch Chorzow and Cracovia before making the move to English football.
Helik became a Poland International when he made his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Hungary in March 2021. He has seven caps to his name.
Wales international midfielder Sorba Thomas - who was named in the Wales World Cup squad a year ago - is a threat with his pace and directness and already has one goal and four assists this season.
A youth product of West Ham United. Thomas spent five years at Boreham Wood before switching to Huddersfield in January 2021 for an undisclosed fee. He has been with the club ever since, outside of a loan spell with Blackburn over the second half of last season.
The young winger made his debut for Wales in October of 2021 as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw against Czech Republic, the first of his eight caps to date.
Midfielder Jack Rudoni proved an influential figure during Huddersfield's revival under Neil Warnock last season, and has carried that form into the new campaign.
The 22-year-old joined the Terriers in the summer of 2022 from AFC Wimbledon, and appeared in all 46 of their Championship fixtures this season.
He has three goals and an assist against his name during the 2023-24 campaign to date.
Rudoni was on the books of Crystal Palace as a youngster, but joined Wimbledon after being released by the Eagles as an 11-year-old.
He signed his first pro deal in 2019, and impressed despite their relegation to League Two, scoring 10 goals.
