Meet the opposition | Huddersfield Town
We take a closer look at Huddersfield Town as Swansea City get set to take on the Terriers at the John Smith's Stadium.
WHAT'S THEIR STORY?
Established in 1908, Huddersfield Town were admitted to the Football League in 1910.
The most successful period in their history followed in the 1920s as, under the guidance of Herbert Chapman, the won the First Division title three seasons in a row in 1924, 1925 and 1926.
They were FA Cup winners in 1922, and were beaten finalists in 1928, 1930 and 1938.
A Premier League outfit as recently as 2019, this is the Terriers’ fIfth season back in the second tier.
They came agonisingly close to a top-flight return under Carlos Corberan in 2022, but were defeated by Nottingham Forest in the play-off final at Wembley.
HOW'S THEIR FORM?
Huddersfield have lost just two of their last six Championship fixtures, taking but have taken just six points from that sequence as they remain in relegation trouble with three games to go.
The Terriers sit 22nd in the table, and are a point from safety as time runs out.
WHO'S THE GAFFER?
Experienced German Andre Breitenreiter took charge at the John Smith's Stadium in February and will be hoping to ensure they retain Championship status.
A forward during his playing career, Breitenreiter featured for Hannover, Hamburg, Wolsfburg, Unterhaching, Langenhagen, Hessen Kassel, Holstein Kiel, BC Cloppenburg and Havelse. He won the German Cup with Hannover in 1992 and was a Germany Under-21 international.
As a coach he has been in charge of Havelse, Paderborn, Schalke, Hannover, FC Zurich and Hoffenheim prior to his arrival in west Yorkshire.
He led Paderborn to promotion to the top-flight, while he has also won the Swiss Cup with FC Zurich.
WHO'S THE CAPTAIN?
Jonathan Hogg is club captain. The abrasive midfielder has been with the Terriers since 2013 and has racked up over 300 appearances since joining from Watford.
He was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2021, as he was during the 2016-17 season as they were promoted to the Premier League.
An Aston Villa youth product who has also featured for Darlington and Portsmouth, Hogg's experience and work-rate make him a valuable asset in the middle of the park.
WHO ARE THE KEY MEN?
Defender Michal Helik joined the Terriers in the summer of 2022 after his departure from Barnsley, and has chipped in with nine goals already this term to top their scoring charts.
Helik joined the Tykes in 2020 and immediately cemented himself into the Barnsley backline during a campaign where the Yorkshire club would eventually lose out to the Swans in the play-offs
He previously played for Polish sides Ruch Chorzow and Cracovia before making the move to English football.
Helik became a Poland International when he made his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Hungary in March 2021. He has seven caps to his name.
Wales international midfielder Sorba Thomas - who was named in the Wales World Cup squad last season - is a threat with his pace and directness and his nine assists mean he is Huddersfield's top creator.
A youth product of West Ham United. Thomas spent five years at Boreham Wood before switching to Huddersfield in January 2021 for an undisclosed fee. He has been with the club ever since, outside of a loan spell with Blackburn over the second half of last season.
The young winger made his debut for Wales in October of 2021 as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw against Czech Republic, the first of his eight caps to date.
Midfielder Jack Rudoni proved an influential figure during Huddersfield's revival under Neil Warnock last season, and has remained an important player this term.
The 22-year-old joined the Terriers in the summer of 2022 from AFC Wimbledon, and appeared in all 46 of their Championship fixtures last season.
He has three goals and an assist against his name during the 2023-24 campaign to date.
Rudoni was on the books of Crystal Palace as a youngster, but joined Wimbledon after being released by the Eagles as an 11-year-old.
He signed his first pro deal in 2019, and impressed despite their relegation to League Two, scoring 10 goals.