“Huge ambitions” - Kevin Nagle and Michael Duff send Huddersfield Town message after appointment announced | OneFootball

Michael Duff has revealed his delight after he was named as the new Huddersfield Town boss, with owner Kevin Nagle backing the ex-Barnsley chief to deliver success to the club.

Michael Duff named as new Huddersfield Town head coach

It has been a miserable period for the Terriers, who had hoped to kick-on under Nagle after the American had completed his takeover of the club.

However, things haven’t gone to plan, with some bold managerial decisions from the owner not exactly helping either.

This season was a tough one for all connected to the club, as Huddersfield were relegated to League One, with Darren Moore and Andre Breitenreiter proving to be poor appointments, although the latter only arrived in February.

Once relegation was confirmed, there were major doubts about Breitenreiter’s future, and his exit was confirmed last week.

And, the club has wasted little time in finding his replacement, with Duff revealed as the new boss on Monday evening, on a deal that will run until the summer of 2027.

Michael Duff sends Huddersfield Town message

The 46-year-old arrives with decent pedigree, as whilst he struggled with Swansea City in his most recent job, Duff had impressed prior to that, as he took Barnsley to a play-off final, whilst his first job with Cheltenham saw him win promotion and keep the team in League One on a modest budget.

So, as a third tier club, this will be viewed as a sensible decision, and Duff told the club’s media that he is looking forward to the challenge.

“As soon as discussions started with the Club, I wanted to jump at the chance to be Head Coach of Huddersfield Town.

“Whatever was to come had to be right and be a good fit, and that is exactly what this feels like. I know that our supporters expect a certain level of commitment, desire, high energy and passion from their play, and those are the high standards I’ve kept for all of my sides.

“My talks with the Chairman Kevin, CEO Jake and Sporting Director Mark have been incredibly positive, and I feel like we’ve been on the same page since day one. I know the Club, the area and the fans from having crossed paths in the past, but now I want to get to know them properly from a place of belonging - and above all else, I want our supporters to have pride in their team again.

“This is a special Club with a magnificent history and exciting future, so it’s a real honour to have the opportunity to be part of that. I can guarantee that I will give my all for Huddersfield Town - that’s what I’ll be asking of my players too - and together alongside our supporters we have a pre-season and campaign ahead that we’ll be ready to attack.”

Kevin Nagle explains Michael Duff appointment

There’s a lot of pressure on Nagle to get this right considering how his tenure has gone so far, and the US businessman will be aware of that.

But, he told the club’s official site why he is convinced that Duff is the man to progress Huddersfield in the years to come.

“Preparation for the new season is critical, and we are excited to have Michael join us in good time for the campaign ahead.

“We have huge ambitions both on and off the pitch, and every discussion we have held with Michael has given us confidence that he not only shares those same goals, but knows what it means to represent Huddersfield Town.

“I look forward to moving on together in Sky Bet League One with Michael, who has a track record that speaks for itself at this level.”

This looks a smart move from Huddersfield Town

Ultimately, it will be about actions rather than words for the Huddersfield fans, who have endured some tough times in the past 12 months in particular.

But, this does seem a step in the right direction. They have managed to bring in a talented coach, and Duff now has a point to prove after how his time at Swansea played out, where he was sacked harshly in the eyes of some.

Now, it’s about giving him the tools to do the job, as a lot of work must be done on this squad to ensure they are ready to push for promotion next season, which has to be the aim.