Huddersfield Town close in on appointing 42-year-old to replace Michael Duff | OneFootball

The Terriers are on the hunt for a new head coach ahead of the 2025/26 League One campaign.

Huddersfield Town are close to appointing a surprise candidate as they continue their search for a new permanent head coach to replace Michael Duff.

The Terriers are reportedly closing in on the appointment of former Sheffield Wednesday and Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant, according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon account.

Grant currently works with Kieran McKenna as a first-team coach at Ipswich Town, so he will bring promotion-winning experience to the dugout at the John Smith's Stadium if he does land the role, having been part of the backroom staff as the Tractor Boys went from League One to the Premier League in consecutive seasons.

Huddersfield parted company with Duff in March following four defeats in five League One matches, before naming Jon Worthington as interim head coach until the end of the 2024/25 campaign. However, after losing all of their last six league games, the club are now searching for Duff's permanent replacement.

The likes of Luton Town, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers will no doubt be looking to win promotion to the Championship next season, so it could be a risky move for Huddersfield to make Grant a head coach for the first time in his career.

Huddersfield close in on Grant

As per Nixon's report, Huddersfield are closing in on the surprise appointment of Grant as their new boss despite there being more experienced alternatives, with the 42-year-old said to be ready to take that next step in his coaching career.

Grant will not be the only inexperienced head coach in League One next season if he does make the move to West Yorkshire. Noel Hunt at Reading, Mike Dodds at Wycombe Wanderers, Matt Hamshaw at Rotherham United and Conor Hourihane at Barnsley will all embark on their first full seasons as permanent head coaches at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign.

If Huddersfield finalise the appointment of Grant, they will have brought in a head coach with plenty of playing experience from his spells at Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley, while he will also be able to call on leadership qualities gained as a senior professional at Manchester United and on the coaching staff at Ipswich Town.

Huddersfield must improve next season

The 2024/25 campaign resulted in Huddersfield registering their lowest league finish since they came 15th in the third tier back in 2007, with their tally of 64 points only being enough to end the League One season in 10th place this time around.

Therefore, if Grant is brought in as the club's new head coach, he will be tasked with ensuring that there is a significant improvement during the upcoming 2025/26 season.

The Terriers' supporters will no doubt hope that he can replicate the job done by Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town, as they worked together as the Tractor Boys finished second in League One during the 2022/23 campaign, before repeating the same feat in the Championship the following season and earning promotion to the top flight.

However, if the move does not prove to be a success, it will only add further pressure to the hierarchy at Huddersfield as they look to navigate their way back to the second tier.