"Played his last game" - Huddersfield Town expected to undergo "high turnover" this summer | OneFootball

FLW's Huddersfield Town fan pundit is expecting a busy summer of ins and outs regardless of what division the Terriers are playing in next season.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

FLW's Huddersfield Town fan pundit is predicting a major summer overhaul of Michael Duff's squad regardless of whether they win promotion to the Championship or remain a League One side next season.

The Terriers are firmly in contention to secure a play-off place in their first season back in League One – though their top two hopes were dented by Tuesday evening's defeat at Wigan Athletic.

However, Duff's squad contains a sizeable number of veteran players who are perhaps on the verge of retirement or looking for more regular football elsewhere for the 2025/26 campaign.

There is also a significant chunk of first-team players who are set to become free agents at the end of the season, and this is all helping to cement the notion that the Huddersfield squad may look very different next season.

We asked our Huddersfield fan pundit, Graeme Rayner, how many Terriers players he feels will leave the club in the summer and why, as well as if there are any first-team players in particular that should seek a move away.

Rayner said: "Regardless of which division we're playing in, I suspect there will be a relatively high turnover of playing personnel.

"There are players out of contract. Players who are probably not at the level we need in either division longer term, and maybe players winding down their careers.

"So for example, Danny Ward I think has played his last game for Huddersfield Town. He's out injured for the rest of the season, and I suspect that it may be a career-ending injury. If not, he needs to be moved on really.

"Jonathan Hogg is still, doing a job of sorts this season, but he's clearly not first-choice. I'd like to see him moved to the backroom area, maybe work with some of the younger players or work in a coaching capacity, but he can't go on forever.

"The guy has put his body on the line for years, he's been a legend for the club for over 10 years. Massively underrated by huge sections of the fanbase, but also idolised by other huge sections of the fanbase. But his time is coming to a close.

"So players like that. Matty Pearson at centre-half, I think he's out of contract in the summer, he can do a job at League One and he's shown that this season, but if we go into League One next season as our first-choice it will be disappointing, let alone the Championship.

"So these kinds of players probably need to move on. Reserve keeper Chris Maxwell, I imagine he probably will move on because he might want to get some football played, and I don't think he's going to get ahead of Jacob Chapman and certainly not ahead of Lee Nicholls."

Huddersfield will also see a number of loan players depart the club in the summer

In any team that involves a portion of loan players, there is always the knowledge that come the end of the season, gaps will naturally appear in the squad.

Huddersfield have sampled the loan market with a handful of additions this season, and that will mean the Terriers will see a number of important members of the side potentially needing to be replaced in the summer.

Rayner continued: "There's a lot of personnel that will need to go. Also, we've got a lot of loan players in. I think we've got three or four. Joe Hodge, Nigel Lonwijk, Callum Marshall and Tawanda Chirewa.

"So there has to be a turnover of players. Josh Koroma, out of contract in the summer, has he done enough? He's playing well of late, but he has a habit of doing that when his contract is up for renewal.

"There's lots and lots of people that might need to move on. Freddie Ladapo needs to go. These kinds of players, and some of the young players that are out on loan, Kyle Hudlin for example, he's not going to get football at Town in the future.

"So, a decent turnover. Who comes in will absolutely be determined by what division we're in. So good luck to those that go, but yes, we need a big turnover whatever division we're in."