Huddersfield Town will face Nottingham Forest in the 2022 Championship play-off final for Premier League promotion, but where are the Terriers’ side from their last in 2017 now?
The Town gained a seat at the top table of English football five years ago with a 4-3 win on penalties over Reading at Wembley. Huddersfield had not featured in the top-flight for 45 years, and needed spot-kicks to edge the Royals following a goalless draw after extra-time.
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David Wagner taking Huddersfield to the Premier League marked a remarkable turnaround for the John Smith’s Stadium side in 2016/17. The Terriers had not featured in the play-offs since gaining promotion to the Championship from the League One play-offs in 2011/12.
Huddersfield had finished each of their four second-tier seasons prior to winning the play-offs as high as 16th-place. Yet ended the regular campaign in fifth, before beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on aggregate and edging Reading in the final.
The Town will now hope to repeat their 2017 result when they return to Wembley on May 29. Huddersfield will face Nottingham Forest in the 2022 Championship play-off final after beating Luton Town in the semi-finals, while the City Ground natives beat Sheffield United.
Nottingham Forest have not played in the Premier League since the 1998/99 campaign and have not visited Wembley in 30 years. Steve Cooper’s side also ended the regular 2021/22 Championship term in fourth-place, two-points behind Huddersfield with both on 23 wins.
So, as Huddersfield prepare to return to Wembley for the 2022 Championship play-off final with Nottingham Forest, where are the Town side that beat Reading in their last in 2017?
Danny Ward (GK): Star of last Huddersfield play-off final now Leicester benchwarmer
Danny Ward was the star of Huddersfield’s last play-off final, yet is now a benchwarmer at Leicester City. The Terriers signed the goalkeeper on loan from Liverpool for the 2016/17 season, before departing Anfield to understudy for Kasper Schmeichel in 2018 for £12.5m.
Wagner deployed Ward in 45 of the Town’s second-tier fixtures during his temporary spell. The goalkeeper missed the semi-final first-leg with Sheffield Wednesday via a suspension. But he would save Sam Hutchinson and Fernando Forestieri’s penalties in the second-leg.
Huddersfield relied on Ward’s penalty heroics at Wembley, as well, to secure promotion to the Premier League. The 28-year-old saved Jordan Obita’s attempt with Reading’s fifth kick to set up Christopher Schindler to win the tie for the Town with the Terrier’s fifth attempt.
Tommy Smith (RB): Long-time Huddersfield star now set to leave Stoke
Tommy Smith spent seven years at Huddersfield and was a star of their last play-off final in 2017, but he is now set to be a free agent in June. The former Town captain enjoyed seven years with the Terriers between 2012 and 2019, before joining Stoke City in a £4m switch.
The right-back amassed 200 outings in all competitions with the Town and has made 106 for the Potters. Yet Stoke will release Smith when his contract lapses this summer, despite the 30-year-old making 32 outings and recording six assists in the Championship this term.
Michael Hefele (CB): Defender gave Reading the advantage in 2017 Wembley clash
Michael Hefele had a strong chance to put Huddersfield in front in their last play-off final in 2017. But the defender headed an Aaron Mooy free-kick off target, and later gave Reading the advantage on penalties when Ali Al-Habsi saved his tame attempt from 12-yards out.
Wagner asked the German to take the Town’s second penalty, but Ward saved his blushes. Hefele, who joined Huddersfield for the 2016/17 season, would spend one campaign in the Premier League before joining Nottingham Forest, where he stayed until retiring in 2021.
Christopher Schindler (CB): Huddersfield ace in last play-off final now at Nuremberg
Schindler was Huddersfield’s hero in their last play-off final, but the centre-back now plies his trade in Germany’s second-tier. The 32-year-old returned to his home country in 2021 with Nuremberg after five years in England with the Terriers, featuring 184 appearances.
He has never featured for a single club more often than Schindler managed with the Town, after leaving 1860 Munich on 166 games. The 32-year-old began his career at the Bavarian side after joining as a youth, before later joining the Terriers for a then club-record £1.8m.
Chris Lowe (LB): Defender back in Germany after three year Town stay
Chris Lowe joined Huddersfield in a free transfer after leaving Kaiserslautern at the end of his contract in 2016. He went on to enjoy three years at the John Smith’s Stadium before returning to Germany with Bundesliga 2 outfit Dynamo Dresden, where he remains today.
Wagner started the left-back in Huddersfield’s last play-off final in 2017 for one of his 101 Town outings in total. Only with Kaiserslautern from 2013 to 2016 has Lowe made more appearances with 108. The 33-year-old is under contract with Dynamo Dresden until 2023.
Jonathan Hogg (CDM): Star of last play-off final now captain at Huddersfield
Jonathan Hogg will be hoping to follow Smith in captaining Huddersfield to play-off glory at Wembley against Nottingham Forest. Carlos Corberan named the midfielder as the Town’s new skipper ahead of the 2021/22 Championship season, in which he has played 33 times.
The 33-year-old joined the Terriers from Watford back in 2013 and now facing Nottingham Forest in north London would mark his 307th Huddersfield appearance. He only made 83 for the Hornets, the next-most of his career, after joining from Aston Villa two years prior.
Aaron Mooy (CDM): Star of last Huddersfield Premier League side now in China
Mooy was an instrumental presence behind Huddersfield’s last promotion to the Premier League from the play-offs. The Australian offered four goals and seven assists over his 48 games, and played the full 90 minutes in 44 of those outings – including each play-off tie.
He would go on to prove himself as a star of the Town’s top-flight side, as well, but could not help avoid relegation in 2019. Mooy then joined Brighton on loan, which Graham Potter made permanent in January 2020 for £5m. Yet he then moved to China that August.
Shanghai SIPG paid £7.5m and gave Mooy a £50,000-per-week contract to July 2023. Yet the Chinese Super League side would have taken £4m to sell him last summer, per 90min. But the Daily Record noted he would have had to take a significant pay cut to join Celtic.
Elias Kachunga (RW): Star of last Huddersfield play-off win now on Bolton’s fringes
Wagner could thank Elias Kachunga for helping Huddersfield reach their last play-off final in 2016/17 after scoring 12 goals and offering four assists during the regular Championship season. He also featured in all three play-off ties following 42 regular-season appearances.
The DR Congo international was only on loan at the John Smith’s Stadium for the 2016/17 season. But his efforts in West Yorkshire saw the Town pay Ingolstadt £1.1m to make the move permanent. Yet Kachunga would only enjoy two further seasons with the Terriers.
Sheffield Wednesday signed the German-born forward in a free transfer after Huddersfield released Kachunga in 2020. Yet he would leave the Owls after only a season to join Bolton on a two-year deal, where he played 32 League One games this term but started in just 15.
Izzy Brown (CAM): Former Town loanee now set to be free agent from June
Izzy Brown produced arguably Huddersfield’s best chance to go ahead against Reading in their last Championship play-off final during regular time. The 25-year-old failed to find an open net when he bundled a shot wide of Al-Habsi’s goal from close range early doors.
Wagner signed Brown on loan from Chelsea in the January 2017 market to strengthen the Town’s promotion bid. He would go on to enjoy further temporary spells away from the Blues with Brighton, Leeds, Luton Town and Sheffield Wednesday before joining Preston.
Yet Preston only signed Brown to a one-year contract and have now released the former England U21 international. He never featured for the Lilywhites during a competitive game after rupturing his Achilles tendon in pre-season. His sole outing was in July against Celtic.
Rajiv van La Parra (LW): Star of last Huddersfield play-off win now free agent
Rajiv van La Parra was a star of Huddersfield’s last play-off success after joining the Town on loan from Wolves. He made 43 appearances and offered two goals plus four assists to convince Wagner to make his move permanent. But his career has fallen off a cliff since.
The Dutchman remained in West Yorkshire until joining Middlesbrough on loan in January 2019. He then left the Terriers that August for Red Star Belgrade, yet only spent a season in Serbia, before Logrones, Wurzburger Kickers and Apollon Smyrnis up until this February.
Nakhi Wells (ST): Former Town star now fringe player at Bristol City
Nakhi Wells helped fire Huddersfield into the Premier League in their last play-off final, but now finds himself on the fringes at Bristol City. The Bermuda international scored 10 goals and three assists in 46 appearances. Yet Wells only hit three goals in 32 games this season.
Additionally, the 21-cap forward only started seven of his outings for the Robins as they finished the term in 17th-place. Wells opened 34 of his Championship outings in 2016/17 before joining Burnley in a £5m deal that summer, where he would only play 10 games.
The Clarets also never saw Wells find the back of the net, before two loan spells with QPR then joining Bristol City for £5m in January 2020. The 31-year-old offered 24 goals and 10 assists during his time with QPR. He is yet to match or better his 153 Huddersfield games.
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