Huddersfield Town didn't get what Millwall did with £5m Fulham transfer | OneFootball

Huddersfield Town never saw the best of defender Scott Malone after his £5 million move from Fulham, but he went on to thrive at Millwall.

Huddersfield Town pulled off one of the biggest shocks in recent Championship history when they secured promotion to the Premier League in 2017.

Having finished 19th in the table the previous season under David Wagner, few were expecting much from Huddersfield at the start of the 2016-17 campaign, and they were certainly not considered to be promotion contenders.

However, the Terriers achieved a surprise fifth-placed finish, and they went on to secure promotion to the top flight after beating Reading on penalties in the play-off final at Wembley, completing one of the greatest seasons in the club's history.

Huddersfield continued to defy the odds in the Premier League as they avoided relegation in their first season in the division, finishing in a respectable 16th place, but unfortunately, they were unable to repeat the feat the following year as they finished bottom of the table with just 16 points to their name.

It was always going to be difficult for the Terriers to establish themselves among England's elite due to their limited financial resources, but their prospects were not helped by a host of poor signings, and defender Scott Malone was one player who struggled to perform at the John Smith's Stadium.

Scott Malone failed to live up to Huddersfield Town expectations

Malone joined Huddersfield from Fulham in a deal worth up to £5 million in the summer of 2017 following promotion, and he was one of a number of big money signings made by the club as they prepared for life in the Premier League.

The likes of Laurent Depoitre (£3.5 million), Mathias Jorgensen (£3.5 million), Tom Ince (£8.5 million) and Steve Mounie (£11 million) also arrived at the John Smith's Stadium during the summer transfer window as the Terriers repeatedly smashed their transfer record, while Aaron Mooy completed an £8 million move from Manchester City after a successful loan spell during the promotion season.

The signing of Malone may not have been greeted with the same level of excitement as some of the aforementioned names, but he had developed a reputation as a solid Championship defender during his spells with Millwall, Cardiff City and Fulham, and he had even been the subject of a bid from German giants Borussia Dortmund earlier in his career.

Malone had only spent one year at Fulham prior to making the switch to Huddersfield, but he scored an impressive six goals and provided four assists in 42 games from left-back to help the Cottagers reach the play-offs, but they were beaten by Reading in the semi-finals.

As an attacking full-back, it seemed that Malone would be perfectly suited to Wagner's style of play, but he struggled to displace Chris Lowe, who had made 45 appearances during the promotion-winning campaign, in the Terriers' starting line-up.

Malone finally got his opportunity over the festive period, and he helped Town to crucial victories over West Bromwich Albion and Watford, but he soon found himself out of favour again, making just one start in the final two months of the campaign as the West Yorkshire outfit secured survival in the top flight.

After providing just one assist in 28 appearances for Huddersfield, with only 16 of those coming from the start, Malone returned to the Championship when he completed a permanent move to Derby County in the summer of 2018.

Huddersfield Town will have Scott Malone frustration after Millwall developments

Malone scored two goals and registered two assists in 35 games in his first season at Derby as Frank Lampard's side reached the Championship play-off final, but his game time became more limited the following year under Phillip Cocu.

The 33-year-old was allowed to re-join former club Millwall on loan in August 2020, and after being frozen out towards the end of his time at Pride Park, he admitted he had a point to prove after returning to The Den.

Malone certainly silenced the doubters as he enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in the 2020-21 campaign, scoring six goals and providing five assists in 43 appearances, and unsurprisingly, the Lions decided to sign him permanently in the summer after his release by the Rams.

The left-back was not quite able to produce such strong numbers again, but he continued to be a consistent performer for Millwall over the next two seasons, contributing both defensively and offensively as Rowett's men achieved ninth and eighth-placed finishes respectively, and his performances will no doubt have left Huddersfield wondering why they could not get more out of him.

Malone was released by the Lions at the end of his contract in the summer of 2023, and he spent last season with League Two side Gillingham, where he proved that he still remains an attacking threat as he scored four goals in 48 games.

After departing Priestfield in the summer, Malone joined League One outfit Crawley Town, but he was released by the Red Devils in November after making just three appearances, and he recently teamed up with his former Millwall manager Neil Harris for a third time at Cambridge United.