Huddersfield Town player amongst Championship's best this season - relegation would be undeserved: View | OneFootball

It's been a bitterly disappointing campaign for Huddersfield Town, but there has been one real shining light at the heart of their defence.

Centre-back Michał Helik has been impressive at both ends of the pitch for the Terriers, and has scored nine league goals this season, becoming Huddersfield's top goalscorer.

Whilst that's a reflection of the club's issues further up the pitch, and scoring goals isn't his primary job, it highlights just how important he is to Huddersfield's survival hopes this season.

Signed from Barnsley after their relegation to League One in 2022, Helik has become one of Huddersfield's most important players, and he doesn't deserve to be playing for a side battling relegation.

With another year left on his deal, the Terriers may see quite a lot of interest in the Polish international this summer, particularly if they're relegated to League One.

Michał Helik's 2023/24 season

The 28-year-old has played 33 Championship games for Huddersfield this season, and has even worn the captain's armband on six occasions.

He's bagged nine goals in those 33 games, proving himself to be an aerial threat from set pieces, giving his side a target to aim for.

It's quite remarkable that a centre-back is the club's top scorer, and he'll be looking to make it into double figures in the eight games remaining this season.

However, as a central defender, his bread and butter is defending, and whilst Huddersfield have conceded 61 goals this season - one of the most in the Championship - Helik has registered some impressive stats.

According to Fotmob, Helik is in the top 10% of Championship defenders for interceptions (63), aerial duels won (116) and duels won (186).

Meanwhile, he possesses some incredible attacking statistics, and is the top scoring centre-back in the division (9), has the highest expected goals (5.6), and expected goals on target (7.05).

He's also in the top 2% of centre-backs for shots on target (14).

This shows that whilst his attacking threat is well-documented, he's also a very good defender, and is amongst the league's best, despite playing for a poor side.

After already experiencing one relegation to League One with Barnsley, Michał Helik will desperately want to avoid having another relegation on his CV.

His performances have carried Huddersfield Town at times this season, and he does not deserve to be playing for a side that gets relegated.

His club are just one place above the relegation zone thanks to a superior goal difference, and could quite easily finish in the bottom three this season.

Helik has been a bit of an unsung player in the league this season, because his side have been struggling. Had he been playing for a team higher up the league, then there's no doubt that he'd have been lauded by supporters and pundits alike.

With a year left on his contract this summer, Championship sides should be looking at Helik as an option for the summer. There's no doubt that he'd improve most Championship defences, and deserves better than to be battling for survival with Huddersfield.

He won the club's 2022/23 Player of the Year award and if he helps keep the club in the league, there's no doubt that he'd be the favourite to win that award yet again.