How Liam Manning’s appointment could change everything for one Huddersfield Town player | OneFootball

Liam Manning is the new Huddersfield Town manager, and this former Bristol City midfielder may see his role at the club increase

Liam Manning has been revealed as the new Huddersfield Town manager following Lee Grant's dismissal last week, and while he still has just under two weeks to be involved in bringing new signings to the Accu Stadium, he'll likely be wanting to assess how his current crop of players fare under his tutelage too.

One man he won't need to be introduced to, however, is Marcus McGuane, as the two already have a history. In fact, Manning was the man who brought the 26-year-old to Bristol City last season when he was manager at Ashton Gate.

So far this season, the former Arsenal and Barcelona academy product has had a tough time establishing himself at his new club in West Yorkshire, as the midfielder has missed practically the entire campaign thus far through injury.

However, McGuane is back in training, has featured in the EFL Trophy recently, and is ready to make his return to league action for the first time since August.

And with a familiar face in the dugout, the 26-year-old may have a head start over the rest of his peers in terms of squad selection.

Marcus McGuane and Liam Manning's past could have a big Huddersfield Town benefit

Before his move to Bristol City in the summer of 2024, McGuane had spent the past four seasons at Oxford United and was a massive part of the side that flirted with, and eventually earned, promotion from League One.

In the midst of that four-year run, from March 2023 to November 2023, Liam Manning was the manager at the Kassam Stadium, helping steer the club away from an unlikely relegation before putting the wheels in motion for their play-off final success in the next season.

Under Manning, McGuane completed every one of the final 10 games of the 2022/23 League One campaign, before starting 13 of the opening 15 games of the following term.

It was then that Bristol City swooped in to take Manning to Ashton Gate, and as the campaign went on, the midfielder started to fall out of contention slightly, failing to start in any of their play-off games en route to Championship promotion.

Because of what Manning saw in McGuane during his brief stint at the Kassam Stadium, and the fact that the 26-year-old was starting to become more of a squad player at Oxford, Bristol City went out and bought him the following summer, reuniting the pair.

At the time of the signing, McGuane said that he "thrived" under Manning, believing that the two "had a really good relationship," and that he "knew the style of football he played, and it really suited [him]."

Unfortunately, the midfielder was mainly a squad option last season, making just 21 Championship appearances, despite being named in 40 matchday squads. After Manning left in the summer, so did he, making a move back to League One to sign with Huddersfield.

Liam Manning knows what Marcus McGuane can bring to the table in League One

McGuane only managed a little over 1,000 minutes in the Championship last season at Bristol City under Liam Manning, which could indicate that the new Huddersfield boss wasn't too high on him.

Arguably, though, the performances of Max Bird and Jason Knight throughout the campaign kept the likes of McGuane at bay and forced him to seek a fresh start elsewhere.

That fresh start has barely gotten out of second gear at Huddersfield, though, as recurring groin injuries have kept the 26-year-old sidelined for nearly the whole season, with his sole League One appearance coming in the third game of the campaign at Blackpool.

However, McGuane did make his first Terriers start in the EFL Trophy Round of 16 win against Rotherham United earlier this month and assisted Will Alves' opener before being taken off at half-time as he continues his road to recovery.

And now Manning is the new Huddersfield manager, that path to full fitness has been given a massive boost.

McGuane may not have been given much of a look-in at Bristol City in the Championship, but there's no doubting the impact that he can have in a League One midfield. It's that impact which prompted Manning to move for him last summer.

The 26-year-old was one of the first names on the teamsheet during the short reign in the dugout at the Kassam Stadium for Liam Manning, and there'd be some expectation that, if the good times are going to return to Huddersfield in the second half of this season, McGuane will be a regular feature in ensuring that they come to fruition.