Huddersfield Town won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs at Wembley in 2017. But what has happened to those players since? Six years later Jonathan Hogg is the only player still at the club and Huddersfield Hub sports editor and Town fan STEVEN DOWNES has tracked the careers of the rest.
Danny Ward
Danny Ward (the goalkeeper, of course!) came to Huddersfield on loan from Liverpool. With opportunities scarce at the Premier League club it was a good chance for Ward to get some game time at Championship level. Town boss David Wagner was big pals with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp and Ward became Town’s No1.
Despite Town looking to bring in Ward permanently, the Welshman eventually signed for Leicester City in 2018. After Kasper Schmeichel left Leicester last year Ward was given his chance but he failed to convince as a Premier League goalkeeper, lost his place and Leicester were relegated back to the Championship which could be more his level.
Tommy Smith
Tommy Smith had a rocky ride at Huddersfield to begin with when he first signed in 2012. However in the promotion campaign of 2016-17 Town fans got to see the Warrington-born player’s full potential. A full-back who could play both the defensive and attacking game, he became a vital component of David Wagner’s team. Smith was injured in the final but still got to lift the trophy at the end and join his teammates in the celebrations.
Smith has gone on to play for both Stoke City and Middlesbrough where he currently plays.
Michael Hefele
There are not many players whose legacy at a club can have been so impactful in such a short space of time.
Arriving in the summer of 2016 from Dynamo Dresden, the Heff stamped his personality on the club right away with his quirky style. Hefele produced a fantastic centre-back partnership with fellow German defender Christopher Schindler and the bedrock of Town’s promotion campaign was set.
Hefele left Town in 2018 for Nottingham Forest as an injury-plagued second season meant opportunities were limited for him in the Premier League.
Heff returned to the John Smith’s Stadium in 2021 in a coaching and ambassadorial role. He would leave that role a year later when he joined West Brom in December 2022 to work with former Town boss Carlos Corberan.
Christopher Schindler
The German centre-back arrived in West Yorkshire for £1.8m in 2016. He remained at Town until 2021 and saw the rise and fall of the club through the Premier League years. After leaving the Terriers during the Covid-19 pandemic Schindler joined FC Nürnberg in Germany’s second tier.
Chris Löwe
Lowe was the third German defender to arrive at the club in the summer of 2016. Straight away Town knew they were getting a quality player. Joining from FC Kaiserslautern, Lowe stayed at the Terriers for three years. He moved to Dynamo Dresden in 2019 and since then has played for Chemnitzer FC in the Regionalliga Nordost which is the fourth tier of German football.
Jonathan Hogg
Jonathan Hogg bleeds blue and white and has been here through thick, thin and thinner. He came in from Watford in 2013 and deserves a testimonial for his decade’s service. How many players in the modern game show that level of form and loyalty?
Aaron Mooy
When Aaron Mooy was signed on loan in 2016 Town fans couldn’t have imagined the talent they were getting. He played a huge part in David Wagner’s team. Once promoted Town bought the midfielder permanently for £8m from Manchester City.
Across his loan spell and permanent time at the club, Mooy played 118 times for Town. He left West Yorkshire in 2019 to go on loan to Brighton and then moved to the south coast permanently in January 2020 for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £20m.
Mooy now plays for Scottish Premiership side Celtic.
Elias Kachunga
Kachunga was another of David Wagner’s inventive signings from Germany. Now 31, Kachunga came to Town on loan from FC Ingolstadt 04 and, after promotion, joined permanently. Kachunga stayed at Town until 2020. He then moved to Sheffield Wednesday and now plays for Bolton Wanderers in League One.
Izzy Brown
Izzy Brown scored the goal to secure Huddersfield Town’s play-off place in the 2016-17 campaign away at Wolves. Brown was on loan from Chelsea and became popular with fans.
After achieving promotion Brown went on to play for Brighton, Leeds, Luton, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston. The 26-year-old struggled with injuries throughout his much-travelled yet short career and was forced to retire.
Rajiv van La Parra
Van La Parra was one of those frustrating players, he had bags of skill, energy and pace but no real end product. He played a vital role for Town in helping the team get up the field and out of defensive positions.
Signing initially on loan from Wolves the move quickly became permanent with him staying at Town for three years. The Dutchman played over 90 times for Town in that period.
He now plays for Almere City FC, a club in the Netherlands second division, at the age of 31.
Nahki Wells
Wells was signed from near neighbours Bradford City in 2014 for £1.5m and played over 150 games for the club scoring 48 goals. He eventually left Town after the promotion season and moved to Burnley in the summer of 2017. The striker has also played for QPR and is now at Bristol City.
Substitutes
Joel Coleman
Joel Coleman spent much of his time at Town sitting on the bench as he struggled to get first team opportunities. Having signed from Oldham in 2016 he spent four years at the John Smith’s Stadium and only made 19 appearances for the Terriers in that time.
He also spent a season on loan at Shrewsbury during his stay in West Yorkshire. After leaving the Terriers in 2020 he moved to Fleetwood. He now plays for Ipswich Town who have been promoted to the Championship and will play Town next season.
Mark Hudson
Mark Hudson captained Huddersfield Town in the 2016-17 season and was one of the players who, despite his age, adapted to David Wagner’s style of coaching. He retired as a player in 2017 and joined the club’s backroom staff. He worked in the club’s coaching team for three years in various roles.
He left the Terriers in 2021 and moved to former club Cardiff City, later becoming manager. He was relieved of his managerial duties in January 2023 and is now looking for his next role in the game.
Tareiq Holmes-Dennis
Holmes-Dennis was one of those players who may have made more of a go at it at Town if the club hadn’t achieved the success it did. Arriving in 2016 from Charlton Athletic it was hoped Holmes-Dennis could attain a first team playing spot. However, in his two years in West Yorkshire, playing time was at a premium.
He was released and went on to play for Bristol Rovers. He was released from Rovers in 2020 and announced his retirement from football at the age of 24 after a recurring knee injury.
Martin Cranie
Martin Cranie was a dependable defender for Town between 2015 and 2018, playing 64 times across three years. He left in 2018 and went on to play for Middlesborough, Sheffield United and Luton Town.
Dean Whitehead
Dean Whitehead played for Huddersfield between 2015 and 2018 and became a vital figure in the background for David Wagner’s side. Having achieved much in the game, he was a role model to the younger players. Just like Hudson, Whitehead retired at the Terriers and joined the club’s coaching staff. In 2019 he moved to Shrewsbury and then Port Vale a year later. He eventually teamed up with Hudson at Cardiff in 2022.
Kasey Palmer
Kasey Palmer arrived at Town on loan from Chelsea. He played a big part in Town’s promotion campaign scoring some key goals. He now plays for Coventry City.
Collin Quaner
Collin Quaner became a cult hero at Town, just like in 2012 when Alan Lee had a similar impact. Quaner is remembered more for his rapport with the fans than his footballing ability. He played for Town from 2017 to 2020 and made over 50 appearances for the club. His last club was in 2021 when he signed for SK Austria Klagenfurt.
