Former West Brom coach Martin Drury a frontrunner for first permanent head coach role | OneFootball

According to ExpressAndStar.com, former West Brom coach Martin Drury is a leading contender for his first league head coach job. The 40-year-old previously worked under Carlos Corberan at The Hawthorns.

He has been in acting charge of Huddersfield Town since the end of March with assistant Jon Stead, stepping up after Liam Manning took compassionate leave.

Earlier in May it was confirmed Manning would not return, with the leave linked to ongoing personal matters following the death of his newborn son Theo in October 2024.

Under Drury, Huddersfield lost only once in seven matches, including four draws, to close the campaign and finished ninth in the third tier.

Huddersfield-born Drury retired at 28, managed non-league Bradford Park Avenue, then spent around six years at Bradford City, including a caretaker stint, before joining Manchester United’s academy in 2022.

He later reunited with Corberan as an assistant at West Brom in 2024, then followed him to Valencia for half a season before returning to England as assistant first-team coach under Keith Andrews at Brentford.

Drury moved back to hometown club Huddersfield as assistant in January and assumed the acting role when Manning stepped away. The Terriers are believed to have been pleased with how he and Stead oversaw the final month.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com