Huddersfield Town have Michael Duff to thank for latest shrewd recruit: View | OneFootball

The Barnsley midfielder was keen to link up with his old boss ahead of his move to the Terriers

Huddersfield Town have continued their squad building ahead of their League One campaign with the signing of Herbie Kane from Barnsley.

The midfield metronome has been a highly-influential star for the Tykes over recent campaigns, with 24 goal involvements over the course of the last two seasons.

The first of those was under now-Town boss Michael Duff, where he was given the licence to create-at-will in his role in the centre of midfield, as the Yorkshire side missed out in the third tier playoff final.

And the chance to reunite with former Cheltenham Town manager Duff was a key element in bringing Kane to the club this summer, with both player and manager knowing what to expect from the other in the season ahead.

Herbie Kane cites Michael Duff factor as massive influence on Huddersfield Town move

Kane repetitively stood out as one of the standout players at Oakwell during his time with Barnsley, having made fleeting appearances in the Championship in his first season at the club in 20/21.

After an impressive loan spell with Oxford United, the midfielder returned to Yorkshire to stake his claim for a place in the starting lineup, and rarely fell out of favour upon his return, after a series of impressive displays.

Most things the Tykes have done right over the past two seasons have been due to the effect of Kane, with his inch-perfect passing and eye for goal contributing to back-to-back playoff pushes.

But after Duff’s departure for Swansea City in the summer of 2023, Barnsley instated Neill Collins, who failed to win over the Tykes faithful with his style of play and was sacked before their play-off campaign began, before the appointment of Darrell Clarke in May this year.

With the future unclear with the Reds, Kane has opted for the warm, safe hands of his former boss in the blue and white part of Yorkshire this summer, with Duff having a major influence on his decision.

Upon signing, Kane said:

“Soon after learning of the interest and speaking to the sporting director and head coach, I knew this is where I wanted to be.

“Working with Michael Duff again is obviously a huge appeal, but having visited the training ground and stadium before signing and learned more about the ambition here, that has its own attraction and you get a good feeling about this being a club to commit to.

“My job now is to work really hard alongside my new teammates in pre-season and do whatever I can once the season starts to ensure we get off to a great start and keep that momentum up across what is always a tough division.”

That familiarity will help Kane to bed into his new environment quicker than ever, and with a manager who knows his playing style down to the ground, he should be a seamless fit into his new team ahead of the upcoming campaign.

And with Jack Rudoni departing in a big money move to Coventry City, similarly creative players were needed in the middle of the park to replace his services - Kane is just one of a couple that you'd imagine will arrive to plug the gap.

Herbie Kane can be key to Huddersfield Town League One promotion push

Huddersfield won’t be wanting to hang around in the third tier any longer than they have to, and the signing of Kane is another sign of their intent this summer.

The Terriers have already signed fullbacks Lasse Sorensen and Mickel Miller this summer, with the pair joining from Lincoln City and Plymouth Argyle respectively, as they look to add pace to the wide areas ahead of their League One campaign.

Duff couldn’t have heaped any more praise on Kane if he tried during his new signing’s unveiling, with the Town boss over the moon that he has got his hands on a player he knows can be the difference over a long, hard season in the third tier.

Duff said:“Herbie is a player and person I obviously know very well, so I have real confidence and belief in his ability to make a difference for us across the entire season to come. That said, I’m really pleased he’s decided to join us here at Town this summer.

“An honest player and hard worker for definite, he also has a flair in his play that’s needed in midfield to unlock defences, pick passes and get the side moving up the pitch, and I feel that his skillset will blend really well with the players we already have available to us in that area of the team.”

With three signings through the door already, Duff is starting to build a very capable squad for the level, and with his reputation as a top coach continues to grow, it would be no surprise to see more quality acquisitions over the summer.